Calvin Oftana has become TNT’s top scoring option by circumstance. —PBA IMAGES
TNT’s quarterfinal hopes in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner’s Cup will now largely depend on how Calvin Oftana successfully continues to be the team’s take-charge guy.
Oftana’s performance in the Tropang Giga’s loss to Barangay Ginebra on Christmas Day has solidified his status as the team’s top option, especially with their campaign hounded by the controversial absence of Mikey Williams and injuries of RR Pogoy, Poy Erram and Jayson Castro.
Their latest manpower woe is import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson being ruled out for the rest of the conference due to a neck injury which forced TNT to play with an all-local lineup against Ginebra.
“Kailangang kumayod (I need to work hard),” said Oftana, who finished with 27 points in the defeat that sent TNT down to 4-5, tied for seventh with Rain or Shine.
Rain or Shine will be TNT’s next opponent when the campaign resumes in January followed by a game with second-running Phoenix to finish the eliminations.
Hollis-Jefferson’s brother Rahlir will take over for the Tropang Giga.
“We still need to win a game. If we win one more game, I think we’re gonna be in the playoffs so the Rain or Shine game will be crucial for us,” said TNT coach Jojo Lastimosa.
Huge confidence
Oftana is averaging 20.6 points in nine games this conference, his confidence on a huge upswing since becoming part of Gilas Pilipinas’ run to the gold medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games.
He had two 27- and one 29-point efforts in the last four games as the third-year forward has not shied away from taking over when needed.
The Ginebra game was an example of how Oftana can be in charge, as he kept TNT ahead until his touches were limited in the fourth when the lead disappeared.
“I really need to step up because we don’t have Mikey, we don’t have guys like Pogoy and now we don’t have Rondae,” Oftana said in Filipino.
“I think it’s part of my game [of having to take a bigger responsibility] which the coaches have been demanding from me. I also credit my teammates for putting their trust on me,” he added.