MARK Nonoy not only helped Terrafirma denied TNT to stay atop the PBA Commissioner's Cup standings, he also tainted Jayson Castro's career milestone Wednesday night.
Nonoy erupted for a conference-high 33 points, torched the Tropang Giga from the outside, and played the perfect spoiler to Castro's 700th game in Asia's firs ever play-for-pay league.
The rookie guard was like a man possessed after going 7-of-9 combined from the three-point arc and four-point line, respectively, and 10-of-13 overall from the field in a performance ironically, inspired by Castro himself.
In the postgame presser that followed the Dyip's final game of the conference, Nonoy admitted he looked up to the veteran TNT point guard growing up.
"Siguro na-inspired ako kay Jayson Castro kasi first time namin naglaban," said Nonoy of his first ever match up with the 38-year-old champion player.
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And it was a challenge he had to take to heart facing his boyhood idol.
"Since childhood ko, napapanood ko na siya since grade school ako. Isa siya sa PBA player na na-inspire ko yung sarili ko dahil sa kanya," said Nonoy, taken no. 10 overall by Terrafirma in the last draft.
"Naging confident ako kasi gusto ko ma-challenge, kasi idol ko yun," he added. "Sobrang thankful ako kasi na-overcome ko, nakapaglaro naman ako ng maayos."
Nonoy also added four rebounds and four assists to lead the Dyip to their first and only win in the team's final game of the conference.
In doing so, Terrafirma also snapped TNT's six game winning run and sent the Tropang Giga reeling down from the top spot all the way down at no. 5.
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Ironically, TNT was also the only team Terrafirma had beaten in the season-opener Governors' Cup where the Dyip scored an 84-72 win. (RG)
