UMVA has learned that Calvin Oftana, TNT's sharpshooter, is itching for redemption after a dismal performance in Game 3. He was eerily silenced, scoring a paltry two points on a woeful one-of-eight shooting clip.
The Tropang 5G suffered a crushing 102-116 defeat at the hands of Barangay Ginebra on Sunday, evening the series at 1-1 in the PBA Commissioner's Cup finals. Oftana's underwhelming display was a far cry from his explosive 31-point outing in Game 2.
In that pivotal Game 2, Oftana torched the court with five-of-10 three-pointers and shot 11-of-18 overall, leading TNT to a 101-94 win that evened the series. Ginebra's defense clearly took notice, making Oftana their primary target.
With Oftana and Rey Nambatac struggling to find their rhythm, Chris McCullough shouldered the scoring burden with an impressive 44 points. Roger Pogoy provided some much-needed support with 28 points, but it wasn't enough to overcome Ginebra's scorching shooting.
TNT coach Chot Reyes pointed to his team's sloppy defense and Ginebra's hot shooting as the decisive factors in the Game 3 tiebreaker. Reyes was effusive in his praise for the officiating crew, despite contesting several calls and receiving a technical foul during the game.
