The TNT Tropang 5G gave the returning Rondae Hollis-Jefferson a rousing welcome with a 142-87 demolition of the Macau Giant Pandas on Tuesday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium. The win is TNT’s third straight and seventh overall in this PBA Governors’ Cup against four defeats. For the Giant Pandas, the loss is their ninth against only two victories.
What Happened?
The Tropa scored the first seven points of the game and built their first double-digit lead at 21-11 at the 5:59 mark behind Calvin Oftana’s 10 early points. TNT extended the lead to 28-13 as RHJ got involved but surrendered an 8-0 run to Macau to end the quarter ahead by just seven, 28-21. Oscar Lopez Jr. then started the second quarter with a four-pointer to extend the run to 12 unanswered and inch Macau closer, 28-25. But the Tropang 5G countered with a blazing 30-4 blitz to take control, 58-29, with a little over four minutes left in the first half. They went to intermission with a 64-40 bubble.
It was more of the same in the third quarter, where TNT poured in another 38 points while holding down the Giant Pandas to just 18 points to enter the final frame up, 102-58. The Tropa closed the show in style in the fourth, pushing their lead to as high as 61 before settling for a 55-point demolition.
Who Stood Out?
Calvin Oftana led the way for TNT, firing 13 in the first seven minutes of the opening frame on three triples on his way to a team-high 28. He went 11-for-14 overall, shot 5-for-7 from deep, and had 5 rebounds and 1 steal. Hollis-Jefferson showed he didn’t miss a beat after 10 months off, tallying 22 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals in a triumphant return. The bench starred as well, with Jio Jalalon recording 11 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists in 22 minutes, and Poy Erram adding 15 points and 8 boards.
Lopez, on the other hand, was a lone bright spot for Macau, working his way to a game-high 43 points on 14-for-28 shooting on top of 10 boards and 3 steals.
3 Keys to the Game
- Gulf in talent. With a depleted lineup, Macau is always at a disadvantage in terms of talent. That difference was as big as a gulf against a championship team like TNT, whose depth and overall skill were just too much to handle for a team that relied solely on their import in Lopez.
- Defense. TNT simply took care of business on Tuesday, and it did so with unforgiving defense that held Macau to 36.1% shooting overall and forced 17 miscues. The Tropa’s defense picked up the most in the middle quarters, when they held the Giant Pandas to 19 in the second and 18 in the third to completely break the game wide open.
- No complacency. The Tropang 5G were all business against Macau and dominated every which way imaginable. They won the rebounding battle, 82-35, scored more points off turnovers, 30-11, issued more assists, 37-13, and ran the Giant Pandas to the ground, 34-15.
Next Up for the PBA
Wednesday, October 13, 2026 | Ninoy Aquino Stadium
San Miguel Beermen vs. Terrafirma Dyip (5:15 p.m.)
NLEX Road Warriors vs. Titan Ultra Giant Risers (7:30 p.m.)
