Calvin Oftana focused on recovery after PBA finals heartbreak with Gilas duty looming

Calvin Oftana is making recovery a priority following a grueling campaign with the TNT Tropang 5G in the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup.

Oftana’s squad made it all the way to the finals, before falling short in the best-of-seven championship series to the San Miguel Beermen, who captured back-to-back All-Filipino titles.

It was a heartbreaking loss for the Tropang 5G as it marked their second straight finals defeat to the same team, with the first being last season’s Philippine Cup that derailed TNT’s bid for a rare Grand Slam. 

But the veteran wingman has accepted the defeat graciously as he now focuses on his health ahead of Gilas Pilipinas duty. 

"Kung may Game 7, kaya ko pa. Pero ayun nga, hats off to San Miguel. They did well this conference talaga. We fought back naman, kinapos lang talaga," Oftana said. 

"Gano’n talaga buhay, may panalo, may talo. Pero move forward. This is the outcome, we need to accept it and move forward."

[If there was a Game 7, I could still go. But there, hats off to San Miguel. They really did well this conference. We fought back, but we just came up short… That’s life, you win some, you lose some. But we move forward. This is the outcome, we need to accept it and move forward.]

Oftana is tipped to rejoin the national team in the upcoming second window of the FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers after missing the entire first window due to a calf injury last year. 

He has yet to reveal whether he’ll be available to join the national team as he nurses some lingering aches from a tough conference.

"Dito muna, focus ako sa family ko and recovery. May mga aches and pains na nararamdaman pero sana mag-heal na as Gilas practices approach na," he added.

[Just here first, focus on my family and recovery. I still have aches and pains but hopefully it heals as Gilas practices approach.]

Without Oftana, Gilas was able to sweep its two games against Guam with Justin Brownlee dropping 22 points to silence the Guamanians at home, 87-46. Gilas then pulled off a 95-71 victory against the same team when they slugged it out at the Blue Eagle Gym in Ateneo last December 1. 

The Philippines will host powerhouse teams New Zealand and Australia on February 26 and March 1, respectively, as Gilas seeks to keep its unbeaten record intact in Group A. 

—JMB, GMA Integrated News