TNT’s 14-point beating at the hands of Barangay Ginebra in Game 3 saw one key player conspicuously absent — Calvin Oftana.
After a 31-point explosion in the Tropang 5G’s 101-94 win in Game 2, the former San Beda standout saw his scoring guns jammed on Sunday night.
The concurrent Gilas mainstay scored just two points on a poor 1-of-8 shooting, missing all four of his attempts from three-point region.
“As always, their (Gin Kings) defense was intense on me. And our local contribution was lacking,” said Oftana, pointing out that import Chris McCullough and Roger Pogoy had to carry the scoring load.
McCullough scattered 44 points, while Pogoy had 28 as the TNT duo accounted for nine of the team’s 11 threes made in Game 3.
“That’s life, every day is not Christmas,” Oftana said in Filipino.
The 6-foot-5 Oftana averaged 21.5 points and 8.5 rebounds, while making 3.5 shots from three-point zone in the first two games of the championship series.
The third overall pick in the PBA Rookie Draft in 2020 said he intends to bounce back strong come Wednesday in Game 4 set at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. RICHARD DY
