Robert Bolick is on a roll. And so are the NLEX Road Warriors.
The NLEX star is the PBA Press Corps Player of the Week for the second straight time after another notable performance that pushed the Road Warriors into the semifinals of the PBA Governors’ Cup. He earned the honor for the period of October 27 to 31, adding to the citation he won for October 21 to 25.
Bolick, who is also the leading contender for Best Player of the Conference, averaged 27.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 2.0 steals for the week. He also shot 9-of-17 from threes and fours, good for 53 percent, in a quarterfinal sweep of the Phoenix Fuel Masters.
Bolick Takes Over Against Phoenix
The sweep was Bolick’s show. In Game 2 last Wednesday, he put the Road Warriors on the cusp of the semifinals with 31 points on 3-of-5 shooting from three, on top of 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals.
Then he finished the job in Game 3 last Saturday, a 137-89 blowout. Bolick connected from the outside in the first half to leave Phoenix playing catch-up the rest of the way, and he wound up with 23 points on 6-of-10 shooting from threes and fours, four rebounds, and five assists.
The result sent NLEX to the semifinals for only the third time in franchise history. Bolick, however, made it clear the job isn’t done.
“Masaya ako para sa kanila at saka sa management rin namin. Matagal na rin nila hinangad ito. So hopefully, masaya sila. Pero hindi pa kami tapos. May semifinals pa. Sabi nga ni coach [Jimmy Alapag], ‘yung Converge at Rain or Shine, malakas din na kalaban ‘yun. So paghahandaan namin,” he said.
The Competition and What’s Next
This wasn’t a walkover for Bolick. He beat out his own teammate, Schonny Winston, as well as Barangay Ginebra San Miguel’s Scottie Thompson and RJ Abarrientos, for the weekly honor.
NLEX will face either the Rain or Shine Elast Painters or Converge FiberXers in the next phase. Whoever it is, the Road Warriors will have their best player playing at his best. And that, at this point of the season, is as dangerous as it gets.
