VETERANS Jayson Castro and Kelly Williams decided to play through injuries as they can't afford to miss a most crucial game for TNT in its PBA Governors' Cup semifinals duel against Rain or Shine.
The two Tropang Giga foundations are having issues with their calf and knee, respectively, and yet still made their presence felt in Game 4 of the best-of-seven series Wednesday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Castro was good enough to play 18 minutes and finished with nine points and two rebounds, while Williams played 19 minutes and contributed four rebounds and five points in the 81-79 win that gave the reigning champions a 3-1 lead in the series.
Both ageless warriors missed Game 3 due to their health conditions and watched as the Tropang Giga lost a close one, 110-109.
Naturally, coach Chot Reyes lauded Castro, 38, and Williams, 42, for going out of their way and help the cause of the telecommunication franchise, while adding it was actually a calculated risk on the part of the coaching staff to field in the two hurting players.
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"It was a risk that we thought we could afford to take in Game 3 with the end in view of having them strong and ready for a long series. Luckily, it paid off.
While Williams appeared to have settled a bit after skipping Games 2 and 3 after hurting his calf in the series opener, Castro is still bothered by his knee injury.
"You can see Jayson is not yet 100 percent. That's why he asked to be subbed out late in the fourth quarter (of Game 4). We normally finished with Jayson inside. But he asked to be subbed out because his knee is still bothering him," said Reyes of the five-time Best Player of the Conference.
And Williams?
"He looked good out there. Not a 100 percent, but at least he helped us a lot with his defense and rebounding," said the TNT coach about the former league MVP.
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Game 5 is set on Friday at the Ynares Arena in Antipolo City, with TNT looking to close out the series and make it back to the finals of the same conference it won over Barangay Ginebra in 2023. (RG)
