The NLEX Road Warriors needed extra time to hack out a 118-111 escape act over the TNT Tropang 5G on Tuesday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo. With the win, which NLEX achieved without import DeQuan Jones in the game’s last 24 minutes, the Road Warriors improved their league-leading PBA Governors’ Cup record to 7-1. With the loss, TNT dropped to 4-4.
What Happened?
Behind contributions from multiple players, NLEX zoomed to a 31-22 lead after one. The Road Warriors continued to push the pace in the second, scoring 29 more as Robert Bolick and Jones led the way this time. TNT, though, fired away as well, putting up 31 points of its own to enter intermission just down by seven, 60-53.
NLEX was still ahead, 69-61, with 7:27 left in the third when tragedy struck as Jones suffered a bad fall on a drive. While attacking Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser, Jones lost the ball and fell to the floor, only for BGR to fall on top of him after getting hit on the nape by Jones himself. In the aftermath, the veteran reinforcement appeared to break his lower leg and had to be stretchered off the court.
Even after that freak accident, NLEX continued to protect the lead, ending the third quarter up by six, 85-79. TNT, though, would make its run in the fourth, tying the game at 93 with 7:33 left in regulation and then taking the lead a couple of minutes later. The Tropa looked primed to deal NLEX its second loss of the conference after building a 104-99 cushion with 30 ticks left. But Bolick refused to lose, hitting back-to-back four-pointers in the endgame—the latter a fallaway jumper at the right wing over the outstretched arms of Rey Nambatac—to tie things up at 107.
The Road Warriors then proved steadier in extra time, with Ljay Gonzales scoring six points and Tony Semerad adding five.
Who Stood Out?
Bolick carried the fight in the endgame for the Road Warriors and finished with 27 points, none bigger than the eight he scored in the final 30 seconds of regulation. He also had 4 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. Gonzales proved just as sensational as he ended up with a career-high 26 points, including 8 in the fourth and 6 more in OT. Jones, before his injury, had 23 in 24 minutes of action.
For TNT, Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson fired a game-high 30 points on top of 13 rebounds, while Rey Nambatac had 28 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists before fouling out in extra time. Jordan Heading added 17 points and 7 dimes off the bench.
3 Keys to the Game
- Bolick and Gonzales. Gonzales, a rookie, kept NLEX in the game in the fourth quarter as the Tropa looked all but ready to take full control. Bolick, of course, hit those back-to-back fours in regulation to force OT. Then, in extra time, Gonzales and Bolick made all the big plays, with Gonzales scoring and Bolick facilitating.
- Resiliency. The Road Warriors looked deflated after Jones’s gruesome injury. And, as the Tropang 5G took the lead, NLEX appeared ready to give up. But Jimmy Alapag’s wards didn’t, with Gonzales leading the way. Rather than fold, the Road Warriors fought back in the fourth and gave Bolick the chance to send the game to overtime.
- Free-throw shooting. NLEX got to the line 35 times and made 27 of them. TNT, in contrast, went 21-for-30. That six-point difference proved to be huge, but more importantly, getting to the line kept the Road Warriors afloat during stretches when outside shots weren’t falling.
Next Up for the PBA
Wednesday, August 12, 2026 | Ynares Center – Antipolo
San Miguel Beermen vs. Titan Ultra Giant Risers (5:15 p.m.)
Magnolia Hotshots vs. Phoenix Fuel Masters (7:30 p.m.)
