Jayson Castro steady in clutch as TNT escapes Phoenix sans Matthew Wright

Jayson Castro took over in clutch as TNT survived a dogfight against Phoenix Super LPG, 95-92, in Game 1 of their semifinals series at the PBA Philippine Cup on Wednesday.

Tropang Giga nursed its largest lead with 5:35 left in the third quarter, 54-42, but the Fuelmasters went on a run to cut the deficit to 67-61 by the end of the frame.

Phoenix continued its onslaught to turn the tables in the middle of the payoff period, taking brief control with a 79-77 margin.

But TNT answered back quickly to return to the driver's seat, 85-81, a four-point cushion they maintained to close the game.

The Blur finished with 20 points to go with six rebounds and six assists, but his steadying hand in the final minutes was the key for the Tropang Giga.

He hit a top of the key three with 1:14 on the clock, grabbed a crucial rebound for a putback with 26 seconds left, and iced the game with a pair of free throws.

RJ Jazul had a similar crunch time performance, hitting a trey with 20 ticks to go, but the Fuelmasters could not pull off the victory at the buzzer.

He led the team with 21 points and four triples in the absence of Matthew Wright, who tweaked his ankle in the first quarter.

Box score:

TNT — Castro 20, Parks 17, Pogoy 16, Erram 15, Reyes 11, Montalbo 6, Rosario 5, Enciso 4, Carey 1, Washington 0.

Phoenix — Jazul 21, Perkins 15, Abueva 13, Mallari 13, Garcia 12, Heruela 6, Chua 3, Intal 3, Wright 2, Marcelo 2, Rios 2, Reyes 0, Napoles 0.

—MGP, GMA News