Robert Bolick does not need to be the one who scores the winning basket. He just needs to make sure he gets it to the right player.
The NLEX Road Warriors guard won the PBA Press Corps Player of the Week award for the period of April 28 to May 3, averaging 25.5 points on 50% shooting from the field and 38% from three-point range, with 4.5 rebounds, 8.0 assists, and 2.0 steals across a pair of victories that pushed the Road Warriors to the top of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup standings with a 9-2 record and the coveted twice-to-beat advantage.
But the numbers, impressive as they are, do not fully capture what Bolick has been doing for this team. It is the moments at the end of games that tell the real story.
Two Wins, Two Statements, One Bolick
Against the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters on April 29, NLEX trailed by as many as 14 points. Bolick scored 18 of his 30 points in the third quarter alone to fuel the comeback, then—rather than forcing a shot at the end—found JB Bahio for the game-winning short-range jumper in a thrilling 92-90 victory.
Three nights later, Bolick teamed up with Schonny Winston, himself a former Player of the Week honoree, to take control against the Converge FiberXers with a 28-18 third-quarter assault, paving the way for a comfortable 100-81 rout that confirmed NLEX’s position in the top four.
Two games. Two wins. Two defining moments where Bolick trusted his teammates with the game on the line.
“Tiwala naman ako sa lahat ng teammates ko,” he said—a simple statement that says a great deal about how this Road Warriors team operates. “Mga ganong opportunity gusto mo ‘yung teammates mo may moment din sila. Happy ako naging part ako nun. ‘Yung tira na ‘yun ni Bahio, alam ko papasok talaga, tira niya ‘yun. Maganda, nakapag game-winner na siya. Ako nga wala pa, eh, dalawa na sa teammates ko meron.”
That last line—acknowledging that two of his teammates already have game-winners this conference while he still does not—reflects a player who genuinely means it when he talks about trust.
Building a Case for Season 50’s Best
The Player of the Week citation was Bolick’s second in the Commissioner’s Cup and his third of Season 50 overall. Only two players have reached that mark this season—Juan Gomez de Liaño of Converge, who has four, and CJ Perez of the San Miguel Beermen, who has three. Bolick is now in that company.
He also joins Rain or Shine’s Adrian Nocum as the only two-time winners in this conference. He edged Phoenix Fuel Masters’ star Ricci Rivero, San Miguel’s Don Trollano, and his own teammate, Winston, to claim the award.
None of this is happening by accident. Beyond the points, Bolick has consistently been the playmaker this conference relies upon in its most critical moments—the pass to Ljay Gonzales for a buzzer-beating triple in their 104-101 overtime win over the Meralco Bolts, the feed to Bahio against Rain or Shine. These are not coincidences. They are the product of a player who understands how and when to make the right play, every time it matters.
NLEX is 9-2, sitting at the top, and playing with the confidence of a team that has found its identity. Bolick is the engine. He is just happy to share the fuel.
