NLEX welcomes back Calvin Oftana as the Road Warriors clash with Terrafirma on Wednesday in the 2022 PBA Philippine Cup at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
Oftana is scheduled to make his return to the ballclub after sustaining a hand injury in February that kept him out of the Governors’ Cup playoffs.
The Road Warriros face the Dyip at 3 p.m.
NLEX coach Yeng Guiao said it was obvious how Oftana was missed during the playoffs after the Road Warriors bowed to Barangay Ginebra in the semifinals despite being the second seed.
“Kung titignan mo numbers ni Calvin, formidable eh bago siya na-injure,” said Guiao. ‘Yun ‘yung nawala sa amin na mahirap palitan agad. Automatically, pagbalik niya, he is averaging 12 or 13 points, seven or eight rebounds, the defense and the hustle, ‘yung kanyang mismong shot creation, the ability to attract the defense, ang laking bagay ‘yun na hindi namin napakinabangan nung semifinals.”
Coach Yeng Guiao gets a key player back with the Road Warriors.
Oftana also came up big for NLEX in last year’s Philippine Cup when he had 34 points in a 104-101 defeat against Meralco in Bacolor, Pampanga.
Terrafirma will also play its first game of the season, as Javi Gomez de Liano makes his PBA debut with the Dyip in Wednesday.
Gomez de Liano was acquired by Terrafirma in trade with Barangay Ginebra, with the No. 8 pick in the draft shipped to the Dyip along with Brian Enriquez for No. 2 selection Jeremiah Gray.
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