The NLEX Road Warriors aced their first acid test in the Jimmy Alapag era with a 110-96 rout of the San Miguel Beermen on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. The win is the Road Warriors’ fourth straight to open the PBA Governors’ Cup, while the loss is the Beermen’s first in four games.
What Happened?
NLEX zoomed ahead early, outscoring San Miguel, 30-21, behind a strong start from Schonny Winston and DeQuan Jones. Winston and Jones continued to spearhead the Road Warriors’ attack in the second, where they outscored the Beermen, 34-25, for a 64-46 halftime lead.
The Road Warriors fired on all cylinders again in the first eight minutes of the third canto, when they built the game’s biggest lead at 85-60 with 4:47 to go in the quarter. Along the way, San Miguel’s Cjay Perez left the game due to what appeared to be a groin injury. The Beermen, though, started to find some rhythm behind Don Trollano, who led a 16-0 run bridging the end of the third quarter and the start of the fourth to bring the Beermen to within 92-84 at the 7:31 mark. NLEX responded with seven unanswered—a four from Robert Bolick and a three from Robbie Herndon—to restore a 15-point lead that proved enough of a cushion.
Who Stood Out?
As usual, NLEX drew big games from multiple players. Jones’ 27 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 blocks led the way, with Winston’s 24 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals equally big. Bolick, meanwhile, had that crucial four-pointer to quell San Miguel’s rally and punctuate his near triple-double of 14 points, 9 rebounds, and 12 assists.
The lackadaisical Beermen, on the other hand, leaned mostly on George King, who finished with 31 points and 8 rebounds. Don Trollano came alive in the fourth en route to a 16-point effort off the bench.
3 Keys to the Game
- Pace. The Road Warriors played at their frenetic pace all game long and outscored the Beermen, 23-12, in transition. That’s not counting all the points NLEX scored on the secondary break, as San Miguel’s defense struggled to keep up with that fast pace and endless ball and player movement.
- Three-point shooting. NLEX in the Alapag era has leaned even more on the three, and it was a weapon against San Miguel. The Road Warriors didn’t particularly shoot well from distance, going just 13-for-27; however, San Miguel shot only 6-for-23 for a difference of seven makes—which is equivalent to an extra 21 points for the Road Warriors.
- Composure. For a moment, it looked like NLEX was headed for the same close call it had against the Terrafirma Dyip, where it nearly blew a 23-point cushion. San Miguel was charging, and the lead was down to eight with a whale of time left. But Bolick hit that big four-pointer, Herndon followed with a triple, and the Road Warriors regained control.
Next Up for the PBA
Tuesday, July 28, 2026 | Ninoy Aquino Stadium
Phoenix Fuel Masters vs. Blackwater Bossing (5:15 p.m.)
TNT Tropang 5G vs. Converge FiberXers (7:30 p.m.)
