PBA Player of the Week Oftana steps up for streaking TNT

MANILA, Philippines – Behind a six-game winning streak for an 8-1 record, TNT is enjoying a lone view of the summit in the PBA Governors’ Cup behind a slew of protagonists.

And in a hectic week without the injured Roger Pogoy and later on, Mikey Williams, it was Calvin Oftana who rose to the occasion as the Tropang Giga completed a three-game sweep of their schedule and claim solo leadership in the season-ending tournament.

Oftana averaged 14.7 points on 50% clip from beyond the arc, including the game-winning putback in TNT’s thrilling escape act against San Miguel, 105-103, in the battle of league leaders at the Philsports Arena.

The NCAA MVP from San Beda also tallied 8.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.3 steals, numbers that proved worthy of his recognition as the Cignal Play-PBA Press Corps Player of the Week for the period Feb. 15-19.

Part of the Gilas Pilipinas pool revving up for the final window of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers, Oftana eclipsed CJ Perez of SMB, Jio Jalalon of Magnolia, and Christian Standhardinger of Ginebra in a tight voting by the group of print and online media regularly covering the PBA beat for the weekly honor.

Along with grizzled veteran Jayson Castro, Oftana served as the needed spark plug for a TNT side that missed the services of Pogoy due to a bone bruise, and Williams during the first half of its game against SMB due to an ankle sprain.

And the 6-foot-5 winger delivered in style, finishing with a double-double of 14 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists, while coming through with the biggest play in the endgame of the back-and-forth game.

Oftana, 27, stood the tallest in the crucial rebounding scramble over CJ Perez and Rodney Brondial as SMB gambled with hopes of forcing overtime at 103-all without foul-plagued anchor June Mar Fajardo (five fouls).

The third overall pick of the 2020 PBA Draft ignited his week by firing an all-around line of 11 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and three steals in TNT’s 138-116 cruise against Blackwater.

Opposite Meralco, Oftana unloaded 19 points, eight rebounds, three assists, a steal, and a block as TNT held on to a 111-104 win.