The Titan Ultra Giant Risers and NLEX Road Warriors opened the PBA’s Sunday twin bill at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion. It was a battle of two teams at opposite ends of the standing, with NLEX among the top squads this Philippine Cup and Titan Ultra among those in the bottom. That difference, though, didn’t show at all as the two teams went down the wire, with NLEX escaping with a 92-83 victory thanks to a Robert Bolick masterpiece. With the win, NLEX improved to 6-2 to stay atop the standings. Titan Ultra, on the other hand, dropped to 2-7.
What Happened?
This was a battle in the trenches between NLEX and Titan Ultra, with neither giving an inch. The Road Warriors looked primed to pull away early when they established an early nine-point lead in the first. But the Giant Risers rallied, tying things up early in the second and nudging ahead, 41-40, heading into intermission. That close first half set up a second half slugfest, with NLEX ultimately pulling ahead with a huge late-game triple from Robert Bolick and crucial stops in the last two minutes.
Who Stood Out?
Robert Bolick was sensational, dropping 34 points, 5 rebounds, 10 assists, and 2 steals along with huge baskets in the fourth—including the go-ahead triple in the last two minutes. JB Bahio was the Robin to Bolick’s Batman in this game, putting up 20 points, 12 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block.
Those sensational efforts from Bolick and Bahio put to naught another impressive outing from Calvin Abueva, who finished with 27 points, 15 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 4 blocks. Unfortunately for The Beast, he didn’t get enough help, particularly in the fourth quarter.
3 Keys to the Game
- Robert Bolick. Bolick simply took over for NLEX in the fourth, firing 15 of his 34 points and assisting on three more baskets. His brilliance was the steadying force the Road Warriors needed in the face of Titan Ultra’s bold, inspired challenge.
- Turnovers. The Road Warriors have been one of the best teams on defence this conference, and they were on-point against Titan Ultra for stretches at a time. That defence forced the Giant Risers to commit 20 errors, leading to a 19-6 advantage in points off turnovers.
- Interior scoring. Bolick may have hit crucial threes, but he was among the Road Warriors who aggressively attacked Titan Ultra’s interior defence. That aggressiveness paid off with a 32-20 advantage in points in the paint for NLEX.
Next Up for the PBA
The PBA Philippine Cup will take a three-week break to give way to Gilas Pilipinas’ November FIBA window against Guam. The league will return on 5 December with an explosive double-header at Ynares Center in Antipolo featuring four of the top teams in the standings. Opening the twin bill will be the Converge FiberXers taking on the Magnolia Hotshots, followed by the TNT Tropang 5G facing off with the San Miguel Beermen.
Magnolia vs. Converge (5:15 p.m.)
TNT vs. San Miguel (7:30 p.m.)
