Jayson Castro has missed the excitement that live games bring, making it a point to watch TNT’s eventual win over Magnolia in the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup quarterfinal opener on Wednesday night.
“Na-miss ko ‘yung ganitong vibe,” the star guard told reporters moments after the Tropang 5G’s thrilling 89-88 escape at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.
Castro finally found the time to visit as he’s been focusing on rehab in a bid to fast-track his recovery from a season-ending knee injury he suffered during their Commissioner’s Cup semifinal series versus Rain or Shine last March.
“Ang tagal kong hindi nakakapunta sa game kasi nag-focus ako sa rehab tsaka sa strengthening ko,” he said.
“Sabi ko this playoffs, kailangan kong pumunta.”
And when he did, the 38-year-old wasn’t only a spectator on the stands but served as one of TNT’s mentors, much to Coach Chot Reyes’ delight.
“He really gives a lot of very crucial inputs during the huddle, during the timeout, the halftime break. Sabi ko, ‘Jayson, ikaw na nga mag-coach,’” the champion bench tactician said, smiling. “Kasi, he really sees the game very well.
“So I think these guys benefit a lot from the little tips. He doesn’t talk in big terms. He’s very concrete. It’s very direct, so ang laking bagay,” he added.
Castro’s help was valuable, as the Tropang 5G managed to claw back from a 13-point third-quarter deficit behind the leadership of Roger Pogoy.
The seasoned gunslinger dropped 30 points, including the go-ahead floater for the 78-77 lead with 4:10 left in the final period. That sparked a crucial rally which saw Kelly Williams, Brandon Rosser, and Calvin Oftana all contribute.
Both bigs knocked down a triple each before the talented winger came through with a tough bucket to give themselves the 88-81 lead with 2:02 left.
And during that run, Castro, who sat just near the team bench, was vocal in supporting the team, some of whom he advised to stay ready given how tight the endgame was before they all escaped with the one-point win.
The decorated floor general couldn’t feel prouder of how TNT responded as a whole to blow the Hotshots’ win-once bonus.
“Down kami ng 13 points pero lumaban pa rin sila. Kasi ‘yun lang naman ang reminder ni Coach eh, basta bigyan lang natin ng chance ‘yung sarili natin na manalo this game, which is buti nangyari nung fourth quarter,” he said.
“Akala ko hindi na kami makakapag-run eh. Buti nakapag-run. This game, na-feel ko yung excitement. Kaya excited akong bumalik ulit.”
But for sure, nothing would feel better than experiencing all of it while actually on the court and with his team, although it may have to wait.
“Sa akin malapit na pero ‘yung management and yung mga coaches, sila ‘yung nagbibigay ng advice — and then yung mga PT rin namin — na, ‘Gusto namin kapag bumalik ka, 100 percent wala kang iniisip,'” Castro said.
“Siguro pakikinggan ko rin ‘yung kung ano yung bibigay na advice ng doktor ko, and ng PT namin,” added the 17-year league veteran.
What’s sure, though, is that he’ll be in attendance again in the do-or-die match on Saturday, June 21, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium, where TNT is looking not only to keep its season alive but its Grand Slam aspirations as well.
“Of course,” said Castro.
#WATCH: Jayson Castro proud of TNT’s fightback against Magnolia to keep their #PBA2025 Grand Slam hopes alive 🏀
🎥 @justinebacnis /Tiebreaker Times pic.twitter.com/m0nc3r67PO
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) June 18, 2025
