Robert Bolick and the NLEX Road Warriors gave the San Miguel Beermen all they could handle in their Christmastime showdown at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Thursday. In fact, NLEX was down by just a single possession—97–94—with 40 seconds remaining in regulation but just couldn’t complete the comeback as the Beermen held on for a 101–94 victory.
The loss sent NLEX packing yet again after another promising start that saw the Road Warriors zoom to a 6–2 record to get the inside track at one of the four twice-to-beat incentives in this PBA Philippine Cup. Only, NLEX dropped its last three games, including the final two of the eliminations, without their chief gunner and best player, Robert Bolick, whom the Road Warriors loaned to the national team for their Southeast Asian Games campaign in Thailand.
Bolick Plays Inspired Ball but Laments Losing Win-Once Edge
Bolick returned with a vengeance for NLEX, firing 31 points on top of 10 rebounds and 7 assists to keep the Road Warriors in the game against the defending champions. Afterwards, Bolick conceded the gargantuan challenge the Road Warriors had to face in taking on the Beermen without the benefit of a twice-to-beat incentive—while also lamenting NLEX’s blown opportunities to get that advantage.
“Dami naming opportunity na makuha yung twice-to-beat. ‘Yung Terrafirma [Dyip] game, yung Converge [FiberXers] game. Nasayang ‘yun, lalong-lalo na sa team namin,” Bolick told reporters postgame. “Hindi kami pwedeng walang twice-to-beat, hindi katulad nila (San Miguel), kaya nilang tumalo kahit sino.”
That 97–91 loss to Terrafirma, incidentally, came after NLEX shocked San Miguel in their season opener and was the Dyip’s lone win of the tournament. A Bolick-less Road Warriors then lost to the FiberXers, 107–95, in the two teams’ final elimination game even after leading for most of the contest.
Losing a game against the league’s perennial bottom-feeder and faltering in a game that they looked poised to win certainly undid the Road Warriors’ sizzling start to the conference and put them in a tough spot against San Miguel.
Now, it’s back to the proverbial drawing board for Bolick and NLEX.
“Sarap ng feeling na manalo ng gold, tapos biglang katapat mo, champion,” Bolick said. “Mahirap. Pero wala,
