IT wasn’t the ‘welcome to the PBA Finals’ moment Calvin Oftana had hoped for despite a gutsy performance by the sophomore forward for TNT.
Nonetheless, Oftana said its only Game 1 and the Governors’ Cup title series against defending champion Barangay Ginebra is far from over.
The former NCAA MVP from San Beda hopes the Tropang GIGA won’t be contented just to be in the finals after a 102-90 loss in the series opener that saw the Kings totally dominate the tournament top seeds.
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“Ito yung hinangad namin kaya kailangan talagang pagtrabahuhan kasi malakas talaga yung Ginebra,” said Oftana. “Maganda na hindi kami makuntento lang.”
Oftana is playing in his first finals appearance as a pro and was among the few positives for a TNT side that didn’t shoot well from the floor. The 27-year-old finished with 16 points, six rebounds, and two assists and shot 7-of-11 from the field.
In only in his second conference with the telecommunication franchise after being acquired in a three-team trade from NLEX, the former San Beda star said playing in the finals was the least of his expectations.
“Hindi nga, e,” was his curt reply when asked if he expected to be in the finals right away in less than a season with the Tropang Giga. “Kasi nga last conference kulelat kami, di ba? We were down. Pero ngayon, we’re here in the finals.”
That’s why he urges the rest of the Tropang GIGA to make the most out of the opportunity even with the odds stacked against them.
“Hindi pa tapos yung trabaho namin, kaya sana hindi kami makuntento lang (sa finals),” said Oftana.
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