The TNT Katropa are having a good run in the 2017 Commissioner’s Cup, as they are now riding a four-game winning streak. But, their last three victories have been escape acts instead of convincing wins.
It all started last March 31, when the Katropa faced Blackwater and won by just a field goal, 92-89. This was then followed by a thrilling 126-121, come-from-behind victory, from 29 points down, over NLEX just this Friday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
This Sunday night, also at the same venue, the Katropa survived a wily Mahindra Floodbuster, 86-84, a bout that went down-the-wire after they let go of a 10-point lead they had established in the third quarter.
The last three games were a far cry from their second match in the import-laden conference, where they lit it up, dumping the Phoenix Fuel Masters, 134-109, last March 26. From there, their percentages saw a drop.
After shooting 60.2 percent against Phoenix, the Katropa have shot around 50 percent in their last three games. After Sunday night, TNT are now just shooting 41.3 percent from the floor — an obvious and notable drag.
The Katropa may struggling as of late, but for Jayson Castro, it does not matter as long as they keep racking up victory after victory.
“A win is a win,” said Castro, who finished with just 10 markers on 3-of-8 shooting and a team-high five turnovers, moments after their bout with the Floodbuster.
Still, the 30-year-old point guard admits that this particular stretch that he and TNT are currently in is something that should help them realize what they have to work on as a unit — primarily on the defensive end.
“[Kailangan] tingnan namin yung game namin at kailangan namin mag-improve from that,” the nine year league veteran shared.
“More on focus pa sa defense, kasi once na nashoo-shoot-an kami or masama yung depensa namin, talagang struggle.”
In their match against Mahindra, which saw them avert a late-game collapse, Castro lamented that miscommunication and failed conversions had gotten the best of him and the Katropa.
“Sa team namin, marami kaming miscommunication especially sa defense. Then yung offense namin, may mga wide open naman, pero hindi lang pumapasok.
“Sana next game pumasok na,” the four-time Best Player of the Conference hopes.
