RIZAL, Philippines – For a TNT side that is fresh from winning a championship, losing back-to-back games to open a new conference is not exactly the way the Tropang Giga wanted to follow up on their title romp.
But that is the reality TNT is facing as it dropped to 0-2 in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup following a 100-95 loss to unbeaten NorthPort on Sunday, December 8 — exactly a month since it defended its Governors’ Cup throne.
“I don’t think that our team is complacent. I guess the focus on the game is just not there yet,” said Calvin Oftana in Filipino after scoring a team-high 20 points to go with 9 rebounds and 4 assists.
“Coach asked us, ‘When are we going to play properly?’ I’m doing my job but I’m not the only one who needs to work. It should be everybody.”
The Tropang Giga led by double figures in the second half but fizzled out as the Batang Pier won their fourth straight game for their best start in franchise history.
Absences by veterans Jayson Castro, who is out for rest, and Kelly Williams, who remains in the United States, have dealt TNT a huge blow, and it did not help its cause that big man Poy Erram missed practically the last two games.
Erram got ejected in the first quarter of their 105-84 loss to guest team Hong Kong Eastern for a flagrant foul two, then missed the clash against NorthPort after being slapped with a one-game suspension.
“That was simply inexcusable for him, without Kelly, to take himself out of these last two games. Now we have our work cut out for us,” said Tropang Giga head coach Chot Reyes.
“Obviously, there’s so much for us to work on and figure out if we’re going to be competitive in this tournament.”
Reyes said the team expects Castro and Williams to miss one more game as shorthanded TNT hopes to snap its skid against Magnolia on Wednesday, December 11, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
For Oftana, now is not the time for the Tropang Giga to get down on themselves.
“We just need to bounce back. We’ll watch the game and figure out what we did wrong and what we did right,” Oftana said. – Rappler.com