ITS championship hopes on the line, TNT got a needed boost from no less than the team's acknowledged heart and soul.
Jayson Castro made a surprise visit to the Tropang Giga's practice prior to Game 6 and gave a morale boost to a team that is on the verge of losing the PBA Commissioner's Cup title series against the Barangay Ginebra Kings.
Despite just three weeks removed from undergoing surgery on his right knee, the 38-year-old long-time leader of the telecommunication franchise personally attended TNT's practice at the Moro Lorenzo gym to raise its confidence level after a 73-66 loss in Game 5 and go down 3-2 in the best-of-seven series.
Coach Chot Reyes said Castro has long been wanting to visit the team, but his health situation wouldn't allow him until the eve of Game 6.
"Talaga namang gusto niyang pumunta, pero talaga namang nahihirapan siya. Naka-crutches na siya, may walker pa," said Reyes in describing how his veteran guard looked when he joined the team in practice for the first time since suffering a patella tendon tear on his right knee.
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"Ang hirap. Yung meeting room pa naman namin nasa second floor. Fifteen minutes na kami nandun, wala pa si Jayson kasi ang bagal ng lakad niya."
Chot said Castro was in constant touch with his son and deputy coach Josh Reyes, regularly giving his insights on the grind out finals between the Tropang Giga and Kings.
It turned out the practice appearance was just a preview of things to come.
Game 6 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, there was 'The Blur' making his presence felt by joining the team in the dugout, and later, catching a glimpse of the intense match by sitting at the far end of the TNT bench.
The Tropang Giga willed their way back from a first half deficit to pull off a gutsy 87-83 win and sent the title series to a deciding Game 7 on Friday.
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Rey Nambatac, who led the TNT locals with 23 points on 3-of-4 shooting from the three-point arc, admitted Castro showing up in practice stirred the fight in TNT.
"Sobrang dagdag na extra motivation sa amin yun kasi even though wala siya doon sa past games namin, yung presence niya, naramdaman namin," said the guard out of Letran.
"Meron siyang mga piece of advice sa amin, especially sa mga veterans which is yun yung ini-apply namin sa game na ito."(RG)
