The NLEX Road Warriors are on an unfamiliar path—that of a contender. Perennially a middle-of-the-pack squad, the Road Warriors, led by superstar Robert Bolick, are looking like legitimate contenders in this PBA Commissioner’s Cup and are, in fact, heading into the playoffs as the No. 1 seed after dispatching the Titan Ultra Giant Risers on Tuesday.
But it nearly didn’t happen, as NLEX had to endure some tense moments—particularly a wide-open layup by Titan’s Joshua Munzon that fell short—in regulation before taking over in extra time for the win.
Not Good Enough for Bolick
That NLEX was even in a position to win had much to do with Robert Bolick taking over, notably with a 17-point explosion in the third quarter to erase a 14-point Titan lead. The need to battle back against the lowly Giant Risers wasn’t lost on Bolick, who was naturally dissatisfied with the way his league-leading Road Warriors played on Tuesday.
“Dapat hindi ganito yung laro namin,” Bolick told reporters. “Hindi pwede yung pili-pili ng laban. Hindi naman kami superior team gaya ng iba na pwede mag-relax. So for sure, ‘yung mga video nito, maraming ipapakita si coach sa amin ’yung mga depensa na tine-take for granted.”
Bolick and the Road Warriors will have some time to break down film and figure out ways to improve. And while they do, the two-time PBA Commissioner’s Cup Player of the Week wants everyone to lock in as the playoffs loom.
Bolick Is Demanding a Winning Standard
In particular, Bolick is holding himself and his teammates to a high standard—that of winning. That’s why he wants everybody ready come the quarterfinals and to avoid being in the kind of hole they were in against Titan Ultra.
“Sa playoffs, every possession counts, so dapat ready to play kami lahat. Sana maging eye-opener ‘to. Halos lahat ng games namin na ganito, laging ganun eh. Baka pag dating sa dulo, hindi papabor sa amin. So dapat hindi kami malagay sa ganitong situation,” he emphasized. “Dapat may standard kami sa paglalaro. Dati nasa baba lang kami lagi. Makapasok sa eight, masaya na kami. Ngayon sa sistema ni coach, sa gabay ni coach, ang ganda ng pinapakita namin. Dapat nandun kami sa standard na ‘yun.”
To be fair, NLEX has been the standard this conference with its 10-2 record. Then again, the playoffs are a different beast altogether. Bolick knows this all too well.
