On Friday night, the NLEX Road Warriors and Meralco Bolts put on arguably the best game of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup thus far, with the Road Warriors ultimately eking out a 104-101 victory over the Bolts at the Ynares Center in Montalban. The win is NLEX’s sixth against only one defeat, while the loss is Meralco’s second against five victories.
What Happened?
Meralco did just enough to take a 45-35 lead into intermission after an ugly first half that saw both teams combine for more fouls (33) than field goals (31).
The third quarter unraveled differently as the two teams started waxing hot, with the Bolts scoring 31 and the Road Warriors putting up 29. Meralco looked poised for the victory, maintaining a double-digit lead for most of the third and in the first four minutes of the final frame.
But NLEX ate away at that lead little by little and got a breakthrough at the 6:50 mark when it trimmed the deficit under 10, 81-74, on a Schonny Winston four-pointer. The Bolts, though, were still ahead, 89-81, at the 2:49 mark before the Road Warriors unleashed an 8-0 blast capped off by a wild Robert Bolick stepback three to tie the game.
Overtime was equally tight, with the two teams exchanging baskets and leads until a Jason Brickman triple tied things up again at 101 with 12 ticks left. With a chance to win the game, NLEX set up Bolick off a baseline curl for a triple. Berto got the ball and had a sliver of daylight but gave it up to a wide-open Ljay Gonzales after Marvin Jones helped for the contest.
The rookie did the rest to give the Road Warriors the dramatic victory.
Who Stood Out?
On a night Bolick scored only 11, NLEX rode on the ever-reliable Cady Lalanne, who put up a monster 34-point, 25-rebound double-double while proving nearly unstoppable in the fourth. Winston, who has been a consistent double-digit scorer this conference, added 21 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals. Gonzales also shone, coming off the bench and firing 15 points, including not only the game-winner, but also four clutch freebies in OT.
Meralco’s Marvin Jones, meanwhile, had 25 points and 13 rebounds as he tried matching Lalanne. Chris Newsome had 19 points, including 7 early in the third to help the Bolts stretch their lead. Javee Mocon also had a strong game against his former team, coming off the bench for 17 points and 7 boards.
3 Keys to the Game
- Persistence. The Road Warriors kept throwing up bricks in the first half, where they shot a ghastly 30.2%. But they kept at it, started finding a semblance of rhythm in the third, and ultimately got into a groove late in the fourth. By the end of the game, NLEX shot 41.4%, as opposed to Meralco’s 38%.
- Berto. Bolick was shackled by and large, but when the game was on the line, he delivered nonetheless. His stepback triple over Brickman sent the game to overtime, and his dish to Gonzales led to the game-winning trey.
- Cady Lalanne. Lalanne was a force in NLEX’s comeback, scoring almost at will as he carried the offense for stretches. He was particularly a handful in the paint, and his interior playmaking ultimately opened up opportunities for the rest of the Road Warriors.
Next Up for the PBA
Saturday, April 18, 2026 | Ynares Center – Montalban
TNT Tropang 5G vs. Titan Ultra Giant Risers (5:15 p.m.)
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel vs. Terrafirma Dyip (7:30 p.m.)
