Rondae Hollis-Jefferson returned from an Achilles tear with 22 points, six rebounds and five assists as TNT routed Macau, 142-87, in the PBA Governors Cup on Tuesday, October 13, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium. Calvin Oftana and Jio Jalalon ensured his first game back went smoothly.

Oftana scored 28 points, while Jalalon notched a triple-double of 11 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists to lead the Tropang 5G’s charge. The shellacking of Macau lifted TNT’s record to 7-4 in Group A.

Hollis-Jefferson Shines in PBA Comeback

Sidelined since December 2025, Hollis-Jefferson looked none the worse for wear in his first game back. Fellow returnees Poy Erram and Kim Aurin also made an impact, combining for 25 points and 12 rebounds.

Hollis-Jefferson’s return was a major storyline entering the game. An Achilles tear is a serious injury, and TNT had waited months to see him back on the floor.

The 55-point margin was the biggest winning margin in franchise history and in head coach Chot Reyes’ PBA coaching career. It also fell just short of the league record of 60 points, set by NLEX against Macau on Oct. 7.

Macau’s fifth straight loss, its ninth in 11 games, mattered little for a team that has already dropped out of the playoff picture. TNT, however, had a clear purpose for the game.

Oftana and Jalalon carried the load in a game that was never in doubt. That allowed TNT to ease its returnees into action in a low-risk setting before bigger games.

The match served its purpose for Reyes, who said the plan for the playoffs always included Hollis-Jefferson. “Ever since naman ang plano namin for the playoffs si Rondae,” he related.

“Now we found an opportunity to ease him in slowly instead of playing him two games ago pa,” said Reyes. He added that the return was delayed by a week because Hollis-Jefferson had to go home for a family bereavement.

“We were very fortunate to get a replacement like Nick Hornsby to give us those two wins and allowed us now to play Rondae in admittedly a low-risk game for us,” Reyes also said.

TNT Eyes Converge and Quarterfinals

TNT now turns to a much-awaited rematch with groupmate and fellow quarterfinalist Converge on Sunday. Reyes said the team did not want to throw Hollis-Jefferson and Erram into a tough matchup right away.

The Converge rematch carries extra weight because both teams are quarterfinalists. Sunday’s game gives TNT a chance to measure its rotation with its returnees back in the lineup.

“Pero we know ang next na kalaban namin Converge,” Reyes said. “Ayaw naman naming ilaro si Rondae at si Poy agad-agad ng ganu’n kalakas na kalaban.”

Reyes said the plan was to ease them in “to prepare them for against Converge, but again, more importantly, for the quarterfinals.” The approach points to a bigger goal beyond the group stage.

Macau lost its last three games by an average of 43.6 points entering Tuesday’s game. TNT blew past that mark when Rey Nambatac buried a triple to make it 132-71 with 4:30 to go.

Macau’s Oscar Lopez Jr. kept the Giant Pandas from another such humiliation. He drilled two four-pointers, scoring 14 of his game-high 43 points in a 16-10 closing exchange.

Hollis-Jefferson’s comeback, Oftana’s 28 points and Jalalon’s triple-double give TNT momentum heading into Sunday’s Governors Cup showdown. The Tropang 5G will find out how far that carries against Converge in a group-stage rematch.