WATCH: Calvin Oftana’s buzzer-beater in TNT win vs SMB, 105-103

TNT Tropang Giga defeated their top rival team San Miguel Beermen, 105-103, in an epic battle of the PBA Governors Cup 2023 at Philsports Arena, Pasig City.

Tropang Giga claimed the 1st spot in the standing as they got their 8th win of the season, while Beermen dropped to 2nd place with a 7-2 win-loss record. 

Buzzer-beater

Calvin Oftana beat the buzzer at the perfect time and scored the putback layup to secure their win.

Oftana created 14 points in the whole game, including the game-winning putback.

Jason Castro was the top scorer for the Tropang Giga with 21 points, while their import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson contributed 19 points and helped the team in the closing period of the 4th quarter.

The veteran power forward Kelly Williams was named player of the game. He scored 16 points with 7 out of 15 field goals and grabbed three rebounds. 

Injured TNT shooters

Another Filam player Mikey Williams was playing well, having collected 11 points, three rebounds and one assist when he suffered an ankle sprain with two minutes to go in the second quarter.

TNT coach Jojo Lastimosa also said that the team expected this tight game after Mikey Williams went down in the 2nd quarter.

“These guys are built for this, I know there is going to be like a playoff implication here or playoff atmosphere here being San Miguel and us has a 7-1 record. I didn’t expect much from this game from our guys, I just told them just … to embrace the grind and to embrace the struggle,” TNT coach Lastimosa said.

With their top two shooters RR Pogoy and Mikey Williams injured, TNT had to lean on to Castro, Kelly Williams, Hollis-Jefferson and Oftana

“We knew that obviously, one person can fill the shoes of Roger or Mikey, so coach told us right at the half that everybody must gonna be ready, for me it has no different just wanna make sure my minutes were effective and everybody is locked in,” Williams said during the post-game interview.

Beermen top shooters

Meanwhile, Beermen Import Cameron Clark showed his dominance with 30 points that made the SMB close with TNT all game long. CJ Perez helped the team with 25 points, and Junmar Fajardo and Jericho Cruz added double-digit points for SMB.

What’s next

TNT and SMB have the last two matches left in the conference. These games are crucial because the 3rd to 7th seeds are close, and it can be changed in the upcoming matchup.

In the meantime, both teams now shift their focus on their coming EASL Champions Week stints in Japan.

They resume their PBA campaigns in the last two play dates of the Governors’ Cup elims by mid-March.

Scores

TNT 105 – Castro 21, Hollis-Jefferson 19, K.Williams 16, Oftana 14, M.Williams 11, Chua 8, Khobuntin 8, Varilla 4, Montalbo 4

SAN MIGUEL 103 – Clark 30, Perez 25, Fajardo 12, Cruz 10, Manuel 8, Tautuaa 6, Enciso 5, Lassiter 4, Bualandi 3, Brondial 0, Ross 0, Brondial 0

QUARTERS: 24-20, 49-48, 83-77, 105-103