AND then there was one.
After the semifinals of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup, TNT gunner Calvin Oftana remained the only player in the top five of candidates for the Best Player of the Conference seeing action in the Big Dance.
But the 6-foot-5 former NCAA MVP and Gilas Pilipinas national team member took his chances for the coveted plum in stride.
“Hindi ko naman iniisip talaga iyan. As of now, iyong iniisip namin is finals. Pero, the last few weeks talagang tinatanong na ako about diyan,” Oftana said. “Pero bakbakan pa kami ng Rain or Shine kaya iniisip ko iyong series na iyon.
“As of now, gusto lang namin magpahinga for a moment and tapos itong finals na ulit,” he added.
NorthPort star Arvin Tolentino is a close second behind reigning eight-time MVP June Mar Fajardo of San Miguel Beer in the BPC race with 39.9 SPs.
NLEX prolific scorer Robert Bolick is third (32.7 SPs), while Oftana is at fourth, followed by Converge rookie Jordan Heading, who ranks fourth (32.5 SPs).
Oftana boosted his stock for the award with norms of 16.0 points and 5.9 rebounds in the semifinals against Rain or Shine.
Bolick and his Road Warriors failed to advance to the quarterfinals while Fajardo’s Beermen and Heading’s FiberXers were ousted in the Last Eight.
The Batang Pier of Tolentino were also sent packing by the Ginebra Kings 1-4.
Oftana said his sights are trained on steering the Tropang Giga to the crown, but winning the conference’s top individual award will not hurt—with the big help of his squad and teammates.
“Pero, if ever mangyari, blessed ako,” he said. “Not because kung ano iyong na-accomplish ko individually but as a team.
“Kasi hindi ko naman makukuha iyon kung wala iyong mga kasama ko, iyong mga coaches ko.”
