Rey Nambatac (left) provides valuable energy and scoring that allows TNT veteran Jayson Castro a lot of rest. —PBA IMAGES TNT captured a third-straight victory on Sunday night to rise to 5-1 overall in the PBA Governors’ Cup. Veteran Jayson Castro came through in the clutch, putting the game away from Converge’s reach and eventually giving the Tropang Giga a 5-1 mark to open the tournament, their first hot start since the 2021 Philippine Cup where they were eventually crowned champions.
As heroic as Castro may have been that Sunday at Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Malate, Manila, both the fleet-footed star and head coach Chot Reyes felt the 98-91 victory wouldn’t have been possible without Rey Nambatac, a crafty guard the club reeled in during the offseason. “Great, great impact,” Reyes said of the former Rain or Shine standout acquired in exchange for role players Kib Montalbo and Jewel Ponferrada. “The reason Jayson’s able to play these quality minutes is because of the [way] Rey is playing—allowing him to get lots of rest, and be well-rested every time he’s on the floor.
” Nambatac had 14 points in the first half before Castro took over in the next two periods and helped TNT secure payback against Converge, who dealt the Tropang Giga their only loss thus far in the tournament through a Scotty Hopson game-winning quadshot. Reyes said having Nambatac alongside his trusty floor general has been such a luxury for the Tropang Giga. The numbers back that claim up.
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