ANTIPOLO – Calvin Oftana nailed two crucial baskets late to lead TNT to a come-from-behind win over Rain or Shine, 108-107, on Wednesday to open its PBA 48th Season Philippine Cup campaign at the Ynares Center.
Oftana drained five straight points including a go-ahead three-pointer with 1:51 left in the fourth quarter to give TNT the upper hand, 106-104, in a game where the Tropang Giga trailed by as many as 10 points.
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Oftana also scored a lay-up with 45.2 seconds left for a fourth-point TNT lead that held to the end.
TNT trailed, 61-51, in the third quarter and by five, 104-99, with 3:38 to play in the fourth before it essayed a comeback, giving Chot Reyes a win in his first game back as Tropang Giga head coach.
But Reyes felt TNT got lucky since Rain or Shine squandered a lot of free throws.
“To be honest, I don’t know how we won that game,” said Reyes. “I think we were just lucky that Rain or Shine missed their free throws. We gave way too many free throws. If Rain or Shine made half of the free throws that they missed, I think we would have won this ballgame easily.”
“We dodged a bullet in this ballgame,” Reyes said.
Oftana finished with 23 points and 14 rebounds after struggling in the first half with only six markers in the contest.
Roger Pogoy added 22 points, while Kim Aurin fired 21 points including five threes for TNT.
Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser added 15 points and 14 rebounds in his first game with TNT since being acquired in a trade with NLEX just a few days ago.
Adrian Nocum had 20 points and looked headed to bring Rain or Shine to the victory with his clutch plays, but the rookie suffered a minor injury in the final two minutes of the contest and never returned.
The scores:
TNT 108 – Oftana 23, Pogoy 22, Aurin 21, B. Ganuelas-Rosser 15, Castro 14, Khobuntin 4, Galinato 3, M. Ganuelas-Rosser 3, Montalbo 2, Ebona 0, Reyes 0, Heruela 0, Williams 0, Ponferada 0.
Rain or Shine 107 – Nocum 20, Santillan 20, Caracut 15, Ildefonso 11, Belga 10, Datu 8, Clarito 6, Demusis 6, Mamuyac 5, Borboran 4, Norwood 2, Concepcion 0.
Quarters: 26-26; 51-52; 83-88; 108-107.
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