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| Jayson Castro had a solid all-around performance for the KaTropa. PBA Media Group |
By Ivan Saldajeno
MANILA—TNT got a very important win as it tries to get out of the crowded middle section of the team standings in the PBA Philippine Cup, edging Rain Or Shine, 100-92, at the Ynares Center in Antipolo on Sunday night.
The KaTropa used a huge 33-point second quarter to open a 56-39 lead over the playoff-bound Elasto Painters at halftime.
ROS began threatening a comeback in the third quarter when the team cut seven points from TNT's halftime edge and drew to within 10, 65-75, entering the fourth.
The KaTropa, however, restored their lead back to 17, 91-74, with 5:19 to play.
The Elasto Painters had one final push, going on a 17-4 run to trim the gap to four, 95-91, with 32.6 seconds left, but the KaTropa finished the game with a 5-1 mini rally for the final tally.
Jayson Castro and Troy Rosario returned to TNT after helping Gilas qualify for the FIBA World Cup and each chipped in 20 points off the bench.
Castro came close to a triple-double as he too had 10 assists and seven rebounds as his team climbed up to 4-3, tying San Miguel for fourth place in the team standings.
James Yap had 18 points, two rebounds, and one steal off the bench for ROS, which fell to second place at 7-2.
Follow him on Twitter: @IvanSaldajeno
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