CALVIN Oftana lit up with nine threes to carry TNT to a 103-100 win over Magnolia on Wednesday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium - the Tropang Giga's first victory in the PBA 49th Season Commissioner's Cup.
Oftana connected on three straight three-pointers during a 9-3 blast that shifted the tide for good in TNT's favor, 71-64. He finished with 42 points as the Tropang Giga broke through for its win in its third match of the conference.
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Oftana's final three of the contest was the dagger as it hiked the Tropang Giga's lead to 102-90 with under a minute to play, condemning Magnolia to a third successive defeat after opening the conference with a win.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson backed up Oftana's 42 with his 41 points and 13 rebounds, in a rare occurrence in the league that two players from one team had 40 or more points.
Ricardo Ratliffe had 27 points and 14 rebounds while Mark Barroca tallied 18 points and eight assists for the Hotshots, who played without two key injured players in Paul Lee and Zavier Lucero.
TNT won even with Jayson Castro and Kelly Williams still out and Rey Nambatac injured early, but got a boost with the return of Poy Erram after serving a one-game suspension for his ejection during the contest against Eastern last December 6.
TNT coach Chot Reyes, however, was still disappointed with how their defense fizzled in the end game.
“Our only focus for this game was effort that was written in big letters on our board,” said Reyes. “I was very, very upset with the effort that we showed in the first two games. Even before looking at the technical aspects of the game, not having Jayson (Castro), Kelly (Williams), and Poy as well for the first two games was a big blow for us but still there’s no excuse for not exerting our best effort.
“That’s why I was very pissed today. Very, very upset with the way we finished this game. We gave up eight points in the last 40 seconds, and that goes against everything that we believed in and everything that we stand for as a team,” said Reyes.
Hollis-Jefferson strung up eight straight points for an 81-70 lead in the third, and scored a dunk midway through the fourth that pushed TNT’s lead to its highest at 89-77.
An 8-0 blast by TNT got the Tropang Giga ahead, 99-88, after the Hotshots came to within three points.
The scores:
TNT 103 – Oftana 42, Hollis-Jefferson 41, Pogoy 6, Erram 6, Heruela 4, Nambatac 4, Razon 0, Galinato 0, Khobuntin 0, Varilla 0, Aurin 0.
Magnolia 100 – Ratliffe 27, Barroca 18, Abueva 18, Lastimosa 18, Sangalang 9, Eriobu 5, Dionisio 3, Mendoza 2, Dela Rosa 0, Ahanmisi 0, Balanza 0.
Quarters: 33-25; 52-48; 83-75; 103-100.
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