(CNN Philippines) — Talk ’N Text Tropang Texters shot a whopping 19 three-pointers on their way to a 111-107 Game 3 victory over Purefoods Star Hotshots, taking a 2-1 upperhand in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) semifinals Thursday (April 9) at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.
Eight of those triples came from Jayson Castro, who finished with 27 points on top of 10 assists and three steals for the Tropang Texters, who are a win away from a return trip to the finals against the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters.
Castro’s dazzling performance came on the heels of being part of the 15 players enshrined as additions to the list of the league’s 40 Greatest Players.
Game 4 is on Saturday (April 11) at the Big Dome.
Castro, who has starred for the team in its last seven outings, unleashed his eighth triple – a career-high – at the 1:16 mark of the final period that sealed the win for Talk ’N Text, 111-103.
Joe Devance and import Denzel Bowles scored back-to-back baskets, and Purefoods made a couple of stops but everything went for naught as the Tropang Texters still went on to rack up the victory.
Talk ’N Text import Ivan Johnson, who was came out fresh in the fourth period, added 26 points, while seldom-used Aaron Aban and Ranidel de Ocampo chipped in 17 and 14 markers, respectively.
For the nth time, Bowles did almost everything for the Hotshots with 39 points, but was a non-factor in the crucial stretch.
PJ Simon kept the Hotshots’ heads above the water with six straight points after Johnson uncorked a trey that pushed Talk ’N Text’s lead back to double digits, 107-96.
Simon had 18 points, while James Yap and Marc Pingris combined for 21 points for Purefoods, which lost the last two games in the best-of-five series.
The scores:
TALK N’ TEXT 111 – Castro 27, Johnson 26, Aban 17, De Ocampo 14, Washington 10, Alas 9, Williams 6, Rosser 2, Fonacier 0.
PUREFOODS 107 – Bowles 39, Simon 18, Yap 11, Pingris 10, Devance 9, Barroca 8, Reavis 4, Mallari 4, Maliksi 4.
Quarters: 32-33, 63-60, 89-80, 111-107
