The NLEX Road Warriors are now 2-0 with Robert Bolick back in harness as they squeaked by the Meralco Bolts, 89-85, in PBA Philippine Cup action on Sunday night at the Ynares Center in Antipolo. With the win, NLEX improved to 3-1 and joined a couple of other teams at the top of the PBA Philippine Cup standings. Meralco, in contrast, fell to 3-3.
What Happened?
NLEX started off strong and roared to an early 24-13 lead. Meralco all but erased that with a 32-22 second quarter to set the stage for a nip-and-tuck second half. And nip-and-tuck it was, as the Road Warriors and Bolts kept each other within sight for much of the game’s final 24 minutes. However, an 11-0 run by NLEX starting in the 10-minute mark of the fourth period gave Jong Uichico’s wards the cushion they needed to fend off Luigi Trillo’s squad.
Who Stood Out?
Robert Bolick’s usual prolific offense isn’t there yet, but he controlled the game with his playmaking. In all, Berto put up 11 points, 8 rebounds, and 10 assists while also making the game-sealing free throws. JB Bahio, meanwhile, continued his strong sophomore season with a team-high 16 points to go along with his 7 rebounds and 2 blocks. Jonnel Policarpio also came alive in the second half to help NLEX’s cause.
For Meralco, it was once again super sophomore CJ Cansino who did the heavy lifting, firing a game-high 24 points on top of 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks. Chris Newsome, on the other hand, continued to wax hot and cold in Season 50, this time putting up 21 points and 11 rebounds.
3 Keys to the Game
- Shooting. For Meralco’s part, it was the lack thereof as Newsome and company shot a paltry 35.8% overall and just 27.3% from deep. In contrast, NLEX shot well enough to get the win, hitting 40.8% of their attempts and going 8-for-24 from the arc.
- Strong start to the fourth quarter. The game was tied at 72 with 10 minutes remaining in the fourth canto. That’s when NLEX went on an 11-0 run to grab an 83-72 cushion. It proved to be enough for the Road Warriors to fend off the Bolts’ final charge.
- Taking care of the ball. NLEX coughed the ball up only eight times in this game while forcing Meralco to 14 giveaways. This gap resulted in a 12-7 advantage for the Road Warriors in points off turnovers, which proved huge in a close contest.
Next Up for the PBA
The PBA will be back in the Ynares Center in Antipolo on Wednesday with a doubleheader featuring the Blackwater Bossing taking on the NLEX Road Warriors in the first game and the TNT Tropang 5G going up against the Meralco Bolts in the second game.
Blackwater vs. NLEX (5:15 p.m.)
Meralco vs. TNT (7:30 p.m.)
