Castro terrorizes Aces, tows Texters back on top

Suddenly the Alaska Aces are on a tailspin in the PBA Philippine Cup. The Talk `N Text Tropang Texters regained a piece of the lead after dealing the Aces their third straight loss, 93-83, at the Araneta Coliseum. Jason Castro gave the Aces a big Halloween scare in the payoff period when he exploded for 14 big points, including a three-pointer that all but wrapped up the game, 91-79, entering the final two minutes of play. Castro went on to top the Tropang Texters with 17 points, six rebounds and a perfect 8-of-8 stint from the foul line. “Ang instruction lang naman ni coach (Chot Reyes) is if you have the open shot, go for it," said the point guard out of Philippine Christian University. “Suwerte naman, pumapasok `yung mga tira ko." Talk `N Text now carries a 5-1 record, tying San Miguel on top of the standings. “It was important to win tonight to keep pace with San Miguel," admitted Reyes. “All our thoughts are now on our game against B-Meg," he said of his team’s Friday showdown with the defending champion Llamados. Jimmy Alapag added 16 for the Tropang Texters, who had four other players finishing in double figures. After winning their first three games, the Aces have lost three in a row for an even 3-3 card in a tie with the Powerade Tigers in the middle of the pack. Alaska kept the game close until early in the fourth period when it trailed, 73-74. Then, Castro took over with his outside sniping, triggering a 13-4 run that allowed the Tropang Texters to widen the gap at 87-77 with four minutes to go. Joe DeVance again showed the way for Alaska with 23 points and 10 rebounds in a double-double effort that didn’t escape the attention of Reyes. “DeVance is becoming a bitch to stop," said the outspoken mentor. “He’s slowly becoming the best player in the league." Alaska was obviously hurt by the 24 turnovers it committed, which Talk `N Text translated into 26 points. - KY, RCJ, GMANews.TV