The NLEX Road Warriors are cruising to start the PBA Governors’ Cup, routing the Titan Ultra Giant Risers, 135-100, on Tuesday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo. It is the Road Warriors’ third straight win to start the conference, with two of them being blowouts.
What Happened?
NLEX again got off to a hot start versus Titan, with Robert Bolick keying a 30‑24 first quarter with 12 early points. The Road Warriors continued their strong play in the second, this time outscoring the Giant Risers 31‑19 on the strength of Kevin Alas’s 9 points and some tough swarming defense. With that fine play, NLEX took a 61‑43 lead into intermission.
Titan Ultra then showed some fight in the third, at one point getting to within 90‑78 thanks to the strong play of Joshua Munzon, Mark Omega, Roi Sumang, and Bryan Sajonia. After three, the Giant Risers had chopped the lead down to 97‑82. NLEX, though, opened the final frame with a 12‑5 burst—nine coming from Schonny Winston—to push the lead to 109‑87 and jumpstart what would be a 38‑18 finish.
Who Stood Out?
The backcourt of Winston and Bolick proved too much for Titan Ultra in this game. Bolick, who started NLEX off, finished with 29 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists. Winston, who led that final strong push in the fourth, tallied a game‑high 30 points on top of 9 rebounds and 6 assists. The two also shot a combined 23‑for‑34 from the field. Kevin Alas also showed out for the third straight game off the bench, adding 14 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists.
Import Tirell Brown led the Giant Risers with a 27‑point, 10‑rebound PBA debut. Sumang shone as well, putting up 18 points spiked by four triples. Munzon added 17 points and 7 rebounds.
3 Keys to the Game
- Winston‑Bolick backcourt. Bolick and Winston were a handful, with the former sparking that strong first quarter and the latter leading that explosive finishing kick. In between, the two did pretty much everything they wanted, scoring and playmaking almost at will.
- Shooting. The disparity in field‑goal shooting—49.1% for NLEX, 37.4% for Titan—was just too wide. That was partly due to a difference in shot quality, with the Giant Risers pulling the trigger on jumpers and triples and the Road Warriors being more judicious and selective. The difference in shooting percentage also had a lot to do with NLEX’s 70 points in the paint to Titan’s 40.
- Second‑chance points. In the event NLEX did miss, they still got numerous second chances—21 in all compared to Titan’s 4. That was mostly thanks to the Road Warriors’ 20‑13 edge in offensive rebounding.
Next Up for the PBA
Wednesday, July 15, 2026 | Smart Araneta Coliseum
- Converge FiberXers vs. Terrafirma Dyip (5:15 p.m.)
- Meralco Bolts vs. Phoenix Fuel Masters (7:30 p.m.)
