Texters tell Hotshots: Game over

Game on Wednesday (MOA Arena) 7 p.m. – Rain or Shine vs Talk n Text

What a week it was for Jayson Castro. Castro made the elite roster of PBA Greatest Players Wednesday, then produced back-to-back outstanding games as if validating his greatness as Talk n Text got past Purefoods Star to advance to the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals last night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

After a 27-point game spiked by a career-best eight three-pointers, Castro raised the level of his game notches higher, matching a career-high 33 points laced with seven triples as the Tropang Texters crushed the Hotshots, 79-66, to set up a best-of-seven title playoff with the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters.

Game One of the rematch of the 2013 Philippine Cup finale is Wednesday over at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

“As I’ve said the last time, Jayson is Jayson,” said Talk n Text coach Jong Uichico.

“He’s a go-to-guy, he’s a passer and he really makes things easier for you. He’s a big problem to the other team,” Uichico also said.

Castro exploded for 23 points after a low-scoring, defensive battle, turning unstoppable at the finish as he personally ended Purefoods’ title reign in the midseason tourney.

The 2013 FIBA Asia best point guard averaged 25 points, 6.8 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 2.0 steals as the Texters beat the Hotshots in four games of their best-offive semis playoff.

The Texters were down by four at 53-57 before Castro fuelled their blazing endgame flurry that carried the Smart/ PLDT franchise to a 16th PBA finals.

Castro pounced on all the defenders thrown at him at the finish, scoring half of the team’s last 26 points.

From a 62-59 count, the former PCU Dolphin had a hand in all of their next 12 points, either scoring or assisting in an amazing finish in a game where the Texters struggled badly at the start.

Shooting only 25 percent from the field, the Texters made only 28 points in the first half – the lowest for the franchise over the last 10 years.

Castro accounted for 10 of their firsthalf output and stayed in the zone, adding 10 in the third quarter and 13 in the final period.

Defensively, the Texters took turns limiting the Hotshots to 28 in the second half.

Denzel Bowles struggled with a 2-of-7 clip but the Purefoods bench overwhelmed their Talk n Text counterparts, 18-1, as they took the half at 38-28.

The Hotshots, however, simply had no answer to Castro’s game in the second half.

And thus the Texters made the Commissioner’s Cup Final for the second straight year – and the first under Uichico.

“I’ve been out for so long, and it’s always a good feeling to be back in the finals,” said Uichico.

The scores: TALK N’ TEXT 79 – Castro 33, Johnson 15, Washington 12, De Ocampo 12, Fonacier 4, Rosser 2, Alas 1, Williams 0, Aban 0.

PUREFOODS 66 – Bowles 14, Barroca 12, Devance 10, Pingris 8, Simon 6, Melton 5, Mallari 5, Reacis 2, Yap 2, Maliksi 2, Pennisi 0.

Quarterscores: 18-16, 28-38, 45-48, 79-66