The NLEX Road Warriors started the PBA Governors’ Cup restart in a big way, dishing out a thorough 138-78 beating to the hapless Macau Giant Pandas on Wednesday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium. The win, which is now the biggest blowout in PBA history, is NLEX’s eighth in the conference as against only two defeats, while the loss is Macau’s seventh as against just two wins.
What Happened?
The Road Warriors got the first basket of the game, fired 13 of the first 15 points, and then built their first 20-point bubble at 28-8 midway through the opening frame. NLEX ended the first ahead, 38-23, and continued the onslaught in the second canto, outscoring Macau, 32-20, to take a 70-43 advantage into intermission.
NLEX began the third with foot to the pedal, firing the first eight points of the second half to extend the lead to 80-43 with still 10 minutes to go in the quarter. It was all Road Warriors for the rest of the game, as Robert Bolick, new import Deonte Burton, and Schonny Winston continued their relentless attack. In all, NLEX scored 68 more points in the second half while holding the Giant Pandas to 35.
Who Stood Out?
Burton, who flew in to replace the injured DeQuan Jones, came in with NBA pedigree, and he proved as good as advertised, nearly putting up a triple-double of 22 points, 14 rebounds, and 8 assists on top of 6 steals and 2 blocks. Schonny Winston had himself quite a game as well, firing a team-high 25 points on a hyper-efficient 10-for-13 clip.
On the other side, De’Vondre Perry’s replacement, Oscar Lopez Jr., had himself a nice debut in the losing effort as he tallied a game-high 36 points and 13 rebounds. Kobey Lam added 22 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists.
3 Keys to the Game
- Talent difference. Put simply, NLEX just had too many weapons against a depleted Macau side that lost locals Damian Chong Qui, Jenning Leung, and Ramon Cao. Lopez and Lam tried to carry the ship but were overwhelmed by wave after wave of Road Warriors.
- Defense. While NLEX had superior talent, it didn’t get complacent as it defended with unforgiving tenacity from the opening tip to the final buzzer. The numbers bear it out as the Road Warriors held the Giant Pandas to 35.4% shooting while also forcing 30 turnovers—including six forced by Burton alone.
- Uptempo game. The Road Warriors were certainly pedal to the metal on Wednesday as they set a blazing-fast tempo and kept it on hyperdrive all game long. In all, NLEX scored 46 fastbreak points and at least a dozen more in the secondary break as they ran Macau off the gym.
Next Up for the PBA
Friday, October 9, 2026 | Ninoy Aquino Stadium
Magnolia Hotshots vs. Blackwater Bossing (5:15 p.m.)
Rain or Shine Elasto Painters vs. Barangay Ginebra San Miguel (7:30 p.m.)
