The NLEX Road Warriors escaped the Phoenix Fuel Masters, 124-117, in Game 2 of their PBA Governors’ Cup quarterfinals series on Wednesday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo. With the win, the Road Warriors are now on the hill of a breakthrough semifinals appearance against the winner of the Converge FiberXers versus Rain or Shine Elasto Painters showdown.
What Happened?
Like it did in Game 1, Phoenix took the action to NLEX, with Kai Ballungay, Ricci Rivero, and Tyler Tio helping the Fuel Masters match the Road Warriors point for point in a 35-33 opening frame won by NLEX. It was more of the same in the second quarter, with Gian Mamuyac and Marcellus Earlington joining the fray. Robert Bolick, on the other hand, led the way for the Road Warriors, adding 9 more points to his 12-point first quarter as NLEX ended up down by four, 72-68, after a half.
The third quarter produced more fireworks, and this time, Schonny Winston took on the starring role, firing 12 points to help the Road Warriors inch to within one, 94-93, at the end of three. The final frame started out like the first three quarters, with both teams in a tight battle. Game 2, in fact, was tied at 101 at the 9:09 mark before NLEX unleashed nine unanswered points in the next two minutes to build a 110-101 cushion. That run proved to be the difference as the Road Warriors held on to the lead until the final buzzer after fending off multiple Phoenix runs.
Who Stood Out?
Game 2 saw lots of heroes from both sides. For NLEX, the three-headed monster of Bolick, Winston, and import Deonte Burton proved unstoppable. Bolick finished with 31 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals, while Winston poured in 31 points as well on top of 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 steals. Burton had 24 markers, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals.
Phoenix, on the other hand, drew big games from its six core guys: Ricci Rivero, Kai Ballungay, Gian Mamuyac, Ken Tuffin, Tyler Tio, and import Marcellus Earlington. Ballungay was particularly impressive with his 21 points and 9 rebounds, followed by Rivero’s 21 markers and 6 dimes. Earlington chipped in a team-high 22 points with 9 rebounds and 3 blocks, and Mamuyac, Tuffin, and Tio added 18, 17, and 15, respectively.
3 Keys to the Game
- Turnovers. It’s bad enough that Phoenix lost the turnover battle, 16-12. What made it worse was the timing of those turnovers. The Road Warriors coughed the ball up six times in the fourth, including three straight in NLEX’s backbreaking 9-0 run early in the final frame.
- NLEX Big 3. Bolick, Winston, and Burton proved to be a handful for Phoenix in Game 2 as they combined for 86 big points. They also took turns carrying the offense, with Bolick doing the heavy lifting in the first half (21 points), Winston doing damage in the third (12 points), and Burton coming up big in the fourth.
- Transition play. NLEX got easy points on the fast break, including a couple of layups in the fourth off steals. In the end, the Road Warriors had a 27-11 advantage in fast-break points.
Next Up for the PBA: Quarterfinals
Friday, October 30, 2026 | Ninoy Aquino Stadium
San Miguel Beermen vs. Barangay Ginebra San Miguel (5:15 p.m.)
Rain or Shine Elasto Painters vs. Converge FiberXers (7:30 p.m.)
