TNT can only pray for the best after Jayson Castro went down with an apparent leg injury late in their eventual win over Rain or Shine in Game 2 of their PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup semifinals series Friday night.
Head coach Chot Reyes and the entire Tropang Giga are still awaiting word from their medical staff as they all have yet to determine what precisely their veteran floor general had suffered, in which he had to be taken to the hospital.
“It doesn’t look good but we will find out more now. I’m sure our medical staff is going to be hard at work tonight to give us a prognosis,” he said after their 93-91 win at the Philsports Arena in Pasig to take the 2-0 lead in the race-to-4 tiff.
Castro appeared to have twisted his right leg at the 3:07-mark of the final frame as he attacked the defense of Gian Mamuyac toward the rim.
The 38-year-old clutched onto the leg and was visibly in pain, and had to be aided on the way out of the playing court by his teammates.
#WATCH: Jayson Castro stretchered off the court in Game 2 of the #PBA2025 Commissioner’s Cup semifinals after an apparent knee injury.
Prayers up, Jayson! 🙏
📹 @justinebacnis /Tiebreaker Times pic.twitter.com/ZgAvaHYEgk
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) February 28, 2025
“Alam mo naman si Jayson, kung kaunting ano lang, he’s not going to take himself out of the game,” said Reyes of Castro, who left with 13 points, five rebounds, and five assists. “It appeared to me that it wasn’t a good landing.”
He was intended to be sent to the dugout, but no longer did as much, apparently to no longer add to the pain as they will have to go downstairs.
Soon, Castro would be stretchered out of the venue to be taken to the hospital, accompanied by the medical stand-by and his wife and children as well.
It happened a few minutes after Rondae Hollis-Jefferson fouled out of the match, but TNT still managed to escape with the two-point win.
But there’s really nothing more important for Reyes & Co. than to learn that Castro suffered nothing major after that scary incident.
“Like I said, very concerning from my standpoint,” lamented the veteran bench tactician. “Noong tinignan ko ‘yung replay, very concerning.
“Not only for this series, but for Jayson’s wellbeing long term, his physical fitness, his health. The only thing we can do now is hope and pray.”
