The NLEX Road Warriors survived a furious rally from the Terrafirma Dyip to chalk up a 101-100 victory on Sunday at the Ynares Center in Montalban. It is their second win in the PBA Governors’ Cup after their 114-75 demolition of the Macau Giant Pandas on opening day. For the Dyip, the loss was their first following their record-setting 113-100 rout of the Titan Ultra Giant Risers.
What Happened?
The two teams that opened the conference with rousing wins continued their fine play in the opening frame, with NLEX pouring in 32 points and Terrafirma countering with 29 in a high-scoring start. Both teams were still neck-and-neck at 44-41 at the halfway mark of the second when the Road Warriors unleashed an 18-0 salvo, including 12 from import DeQuan Jones alone. That run allowed NLEX to take a 65-48 lead into intermission.
It was more of the same in the third quarter, where the Road Warriors continued to sizzle and impose their will en route to a 90-67 lead after three. Terrafirma, though, didn’t give up. Behind Maverick Ahanmisi and Juami Tiongson, the Dyip started chipping away at that monstrous lead, first getting it down to 10, 92-82, at the 7:55 mark. A CJ Catapusan triple cut that lead below double digits, 94-86, at the halfway mark of the fourth, while an Ahanmisi trey brought the Dyip to within 101-96 with under four minutes left.
That three was part of Terrafirma’s last-ditch rally that saw NLEX go scoreless in the final 4:15 of the fourth. The game actually went down to one final possession after a missed four-pointer by Robert Bolick, but Justin Strings’ three-ball for the win missed.
Who Stood Out?
It was another spread-the-wealth type of game for NLEX, but Jones was the star of stars on Sunday. He finished with 30 big points, including 25 in the first half alone. He added 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocks. Schonny Winston had an all-around game of 16 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists.
For Terrafirma, Ahanmisi and Tiongson combined to nearly stun NLEX. Both tallied 19 points, with most coming in that furious fourth-quarter rally. Ahanmisi also had 6 rebounds and 6 assists, while Tiongson added 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals.
3 Keys to the Game
- DeQuan Jones’s strong first half. Thanks to Jones’s fantastic playmaking in the first half, NLEX was able to establish a big lead. It was a lead the Road Warriors grew to 23 in the third, and they needed every point of it to withstand Terrafirma’s fight back.
- Ball movement. Once again, the Road Warriors shared the wealth on Sunday, moving the ball and finding the open man routinely for good shots. The result was a 31-assist effort on 43.4% shooting overall.
- Breaks of the game. That was very nearly a loss for NLEX after that big collapse in the fourth. But, in the end, the biggest break went the Road Warriors’ way when Strings missed that open triple he got for the win.
Next Up for the PBA
Tuesday, July 14, 2026 | Ynares Center – Antipolo
- NLEX Road Warriors vs. Titan Ultra Giant Risers (5:15 p.m.)
- San Miguel Beermen vs. Macau Giant Pandas (7:30 p.m.)
