[ad_1]
Calvin Oftana’s game-winning bucket. PBA IMAGES
MANILA, Philippines—Calvin Oftana delivered the haymaker as No.7 NLEX escaped with an 81-80 win over Meralco to drive a rubber match within the 2021 PBA Philippine Cup quarterfinals Wednesday at DHVSU Gymnasium in Bacolor, Pampanga.
The season’s third overall pick made a tough reduce to the basket as he acquired Jericho Cruz’s inbound go for the game-winning layup with 6.1 seconds left.
Cliff Hodge tried to win it for the Bolts however JR Quiñahan met him for the block as time expired.
“It was supposed for him, it went precisely as we deliberate,” stated NLEX head coach Yeng Guiao of Oftana’s winner. “In fact generally it occurs, generally it doesn’t occur for you, however we’re actually fortunate it occurred to us this time.”
Luckily for Guiao, the breaks did actually go in his staff’s favor.
Previous to Oftana’s winner, Mac Belo was despatched to the road with 8.6 seconds with an opportunity to present his staff a three-point lead however the versatile ahead bricked his pictures because the rating remained at 80-79.
Oftana was additionally in a position to make up for his lapses within the ultimate minute of the sport.
He first missed a three-pointer that might’ve given NLEX an 82-80 lead with 34 seconds remaining and allowed Bong Quinto to seize the offensive rebound off of Belo’s missed triple with 12 seconds to play.
However he greater than made up for it in the long run.
Veteran Reynel Hugnatan gave the Bolts an 80-79 lead with 55 seconds to play and that rating stood up till Oftana’s gutsy layup.
Tony Semerad completed with a career-high 24 factors on 9-of-14 capturing whereas Oftana and Don Trollano had 12 factors apiece and mixed for 17 rebounds.
Allein Maliksi had 16 factors to guide the Bolts who had been compelled to utilize their twice-to-beat benefit because the convention’s second seed.
RELATED STORIES
Get the most popular sports activities information straight into your inbox
Learn Subsequent
Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get entry to The Philippine Day by day Inquirer & different 70+ titles, share as much as 5 devices, take heed to the information, obtain as early as 4am & share articles on social media. Name 896 6000.
For suggestions, complaints, or inquiries, contact us.
[ad_2]
Source