By REYNALD MAGALLON
Another Finals loss at the hands of San Miguel is surely stinging for Calvin Oftana but he was taking the setback by the chin as he looks forward to the future.
Oftana admitted that it really hurt to be at the losing end of another thrilling Finals battle but he stressed that TNT cannot just sulk in the corner after the defeat, but instead quickly lick its wound and move forward.
“I think every loss is masakit talaga. Pero you need to move forward,” said Oftana after San Miguel came away with the title-clinching 92-77 win over TNT in Game 6.
“Trust na lang sa Panginoon na talagang ayaw ibigay sa amin ito. Sana next conference ibigay na sa amin ito. Moving forward is the best option as of now,” he added.
Oftana, however, has no regrets with the outcome especially after he put the Tropang 5G on his shoulders and exploded for 28 points.
He spearheaded the huge fightback for TNT in the middle quarters, allowing his team to recover from a poor 5-26 start and come within two, 68-70, heading into the final frame.
TNT, however, collapsed offensively in the final frame as it could only muster nine points in the last 12 minutes — an opportunity SMB made sure to pounce on to bag the Philippine Cup crown for the second straight season, both at the expense of Oftana and his team.
“Thy will be done talaga ang pini-pray ko every game. Anong gusto mo Lord. Para sa amin, para sa amin talaga. This is the outcome. We need to accept it and move forward. Ganun ang buhay,” stressed Oftana.
“Hats off to San Miguel. They did well. This conference talaga. We fought back naman. Kinapos lang talaga,” he added.
For now, Oftana is hoping to enjoy his sweet time with his family before quickly springing back into action, this time with Gilas Pilipinas in the second window of the 2027 FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers.
