The NLEX Road Warriors became the only remaining unbeaten team of the PBA Governors’ Cup on Sunday after overcoming the San Miguel Beermen, 110-96, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. It is NLEX’s fourth straight win under new coach Jimmy Alapag, who described the triumph over San Miguel as a “great growing experience” for his team.
“Tonight was a great growing experience for our guys,” Alapag acknowledged after the game. “You know San Miguel has so much championship experience. They’ve been there and they’ve done that multiple, multiple times. But we’re still working to get there, and I think tonight was a great experience for them to feel what it’s like to play against a champion team, and hopefully that’ll accelerate our growth a little bit forward.”
The Road Warriors more than held their own against the Philippine Cup champions, with Schonny Winston’s 24 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists leading a productive night from the locals. Robert Bolick, the team’s resident superstar, fired only 14 points but finished with 9 rebounds and 12 assists, while Tony Semerad and Robbie Herndon added 15 and 13, respectively.
Alapag Acknowledgeds Long Way to Go for NLEX
Even with a 4-0 record and a big win against the Beermen, Alapag believes there is still a long way to go for the Road Warriors in this conference.
“But we also understand that there’s a long way to go, so our guys will keep on working, and we’ll prepare for the next game,” Alapag pointed out.
There is definitely a long way to go. In the Commissioner’s Cup, NLEX finished as the No. 1 seed after posting a 10-2 record in the elimination round. So, winning games at this stage isn’t all that surprising anymore, especially since the Road Warriors have a fantastic import in DeQuan Jones. Now, the challenge for the team is to not only continue winning games in the eliminations but also carry over that momentum into the playoffs. Last conference, NLEX couldn’t do that as it faltered against the TNT Tropang 5G even with a twice-to-beat advantage.
In the meantime, NLEX will have a few days to prepare for its next game, which will be against the Converge FiberXers on August 1 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
