The NLEX Road Warriors continued their winning ways on Easter Sunday, picking the Phoenix Fuel Masters apart all game long en route to a 120-102 victory at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. It was NLEX’s fourth win in five games, putting them at solo second in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup standings. Phoenix, on the other hand, absorbed its second loss in five games.
What Happened?
NLEX, led by 11 early points from Schonny Winston, zoomed ahead, 33-17, after the first 12 minutes of action. A 14-0 blast in the second brought Phoenix to within 40-36, only for the Road Warriors to pull away again with their own 11-0 run on their way to ending the first half with a 52-42 advantage.
Phoenix continued chipping away in the third with Jason Perkins and Ricci Rivero each tallying 9 to power the comeback. But Kevin Alas took over in the fourth for NLEX, at one point scoring 11 straight on his own on two triples and a five-point play to stretch an 83-77 lead to 94-79. It was the cushion the Road Warriors needed to dispatch Phoenix.
Who Stood Out?
Kevin Alas comes to mind mostly because he poured in 14 of his 18 points in that fourth quarter—including that personal 11-2 run. He added 4 rebounds and 3 assists for good measure. Robert Bolick, meanwhile, was solid all game, ultimately tallying 22 points, 3 rebounds, and a conference-high 14 dimes as he orchestrated the NLEX offense. Schonny Winston and Anthony Semerad had their moments as well, with Winston riding that hot start to 16 total points and Semerad chipping in 15, all on triples.
For Phoenix, Ricci Rivero had 20 points, most of them coming in the second half as he seemed primed to spearhead a rally. Jason Perkins added 18 points and 7 caroms off the bench, and he was also instrumental in helping the Fuel Masters creep back into the game in the third quarter.
3 Keys to the Game
- Offense, offense, offense. Not known more for its defense, NLEX looked like an offensive juggernaut on Sunday with Bolick orchestrating things. The Road Warriors shot 48.8% overall and a blistering 46.9% from downtown en route to scoring 120 points. No wonder Berto had 14 dimes.
- Long-distance bombing. The Road Warriors were particularly sizzling from downtown and even got a couple of four-pointers to go down. Semerad, in particular, was prolific from deep, hitting three triples in the second after Phoenix had cut the lead to four. Alas then finished things off, dropping three triples and a four in the final canto.
- Strong start, stronger finish. Winston started NLEX off with a bang and was instrumental in giving them a double-digit lead. The Road Warriors then finished even stronger, this time with Alas, Bolick, and import Cady Lalanne putting the finishing touches.
Next Up for the PBA
Wednesday, April 8, 2026 Ninoy Aquino Stadium
Terrafirma Dyip vs. Magnolia Hotshots (5:00 p.m.)
Meralco Bolts vs. TNT Tropang 5G (7:30 p.m.)
