Kevin Alas gave the NLEX Road Warriors vintage Drunken Master vibes on Wednesday, finishing with a game-high 26 points spiked with 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals to lead NLEX to an 87-81 squeaker over the Phoenix Fuel Masters.
Afterward, the 33-year-old guard gave a refreshingly honest take on his team: It isn’t as talented as the true-blue contenders, like the TNT Tropang 5G perhaps or the San Miguel Beermen, or maybe even the Magnolia Hotshots and Converge FiberXers.
“Personal goal ko para sa team namin is to be a consistent playoff team, and of course, make it to the semifinals,” Alas told reporters after NLEX’s second win of the season. “Si Coach Jong [Uichico], pinag-practice niya kami ng maaga… We’re not as talented as the championship contending teams, [and] ang chance namin to contend against those teams is to be consistent sa system namin. Araw-araw nira-run namin ‘yung sistema namin para ma-master namin para pagdating sa game…”
Kevin Alas, NLEX Get Off to Solid Start
Kevin Alas might be right in his honest assessment of NLEX, but he might also be selling his team short. So far, in three games in this Philippine Cup, the Road Warriors are 2-1, with one of those wins against the defending champs—without main man Robert Bolick no less!
Then again, it looks like NLEX and Jong Uichico are leaving no stone unturned to turn in an impressive showing in the opening tournament of PBA Season 50. In fact, according to Alas, the Road Warriors had been practicing already for two months prior to the start of the Philippine Cup, giving them more prep time than most teams.
The early results have been encouraging for NLEX. And with main man Robert Bolick back, the Road Warriors might just be good enough to accomplish Kevin Alas’ personal goal of making it to the semis.
