Calvin Oftana won’t sit out in Game 5 despite suffering injuries in Game 4

The TNT Tropang Giga moved one step closer to the ongoing Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup Finals by defeating the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, 108–92, on Wednesday, June 2, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

Jordan Heading led from the front and recorded his best game for TNT, finishing with a game-high 23 points, six rebounds, and five assists—13 of those points coming in the fourth quarter. He received solid support from Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser, who contributed a double-double of 22 points and 11 rebounds.

However, the victory came at a cost for TNT, as their injury list grew after losing star players Calvin Oftana and Kelly Williams during the game. Notably, they had already entered the game without the services of Rey Nambatac and Roger Pogoy—posing a major headache for Tropang Giga head coach Chot Reyes.

Oftana, for his part, hurt both ankles during the game—twisting his left ankle in the first period and then injuring his right in the fourth quarter after stepping on Rain or Shine’s Gabe Norwood. The 29-year-old later spoke to reporters, vowing to play in Game 5 and push through the pain—even if his sprains don’t fully heal in time.

“Oo, namamaga pero malayo sa bituka ’yan. Nasimulan na ’to, tapusin na natin. Lalaro talaga ako. Kailangan kong maglaro eh. Pero kung di naman ako kailangan—sa Friday, if ever di naman ako kailangan, okay naman ang takbo—di ako lalaro,” Oftana said.

#WATCH: “‘DIKDIKAN NA ‘TO!” 😤

Calvin Oftana shrugs off his sprained ankle from Game 4 — all eyes on the finish line 🏀

📹 @justinebacnis /Tiebreaker Times pic.twitter.com/0vSfDrefno

— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) July 2, 2025

“Dikdikan na ’to eh. Wala nang dahilan para umatras dahil lang sa sakit. Gamot na lang ang pag-asa talaga nito. Feel ko naman di siya masyadong masakit—baka adrenaline lang. Pero yung mga PT namin, sila na bahala,” he added.

Despite the twin injuries in Game 4, Oftana still managed to score 16 points and remains eager to contribute moving forward. TNT are currently chasing the elusive Grand Slam of PBA titles—a feat no team has achieved since San Mig Coffee did so under Tim Cone in 2014.

Tropang Giga will also be without head coach Chot Reyes on the sidelines, after he received a one-game suspension for accumulating five technical fouls during the conference.

It will be intriguing to see TNT’s starting five and rotation when they face Rain or Shine in Game 5 on Friday, July 4, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

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