(PBA image)
Robert Bolick took over when it mattered most, steering NLEX to a gutsy 118-113 comeback win over Barangay Ginebra in the PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup on Friday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Road Warriors clawed back from a 13-point deficit and leaned on Bolick’s steady hand in the closing stretch to pull off the steal and bounce back from their previous 97-103 loss to TNT Tropang 5G.
Bolick finished with 32 points, rising to the challenge against Justin Brownlee’s explosive 46-point outing. The NLEX star guard knocked down a huge three-pointer and calmly sank three free throws in the final moments to seal the victory.
Cady Lalanne also delivered a major lift with a double-double of 28 points and 14 rebounds, while Schonny Winston added 21 points. LJay Gonzales chipped in 14 more as NLEX improved to 3-1 and dealt Ginebra its first loss after opening with a win over the Macau Black Knights.
“Mahirap kalaban ang Ginebra with its championship experience, and this should — hindi naman momentum-builder — but hopefully gets us to the next level and know how to play close games,” said NLEX coach Jong Uichico.
“Unti-unti lang, tsinaga namin with a collective effort,” he added.
That collective effort was evident all night, but it was Bolick who seized the spotlight in the defining sequence. With the game hanging in the balance, he uncorked a crucial six-point burst, capped by a booming triple over RJ Abarrientos that pushed NLEX ahead for good, 115-113.
“Hard work and preparation. Ginagawa ko sa practice,” Bolick said of the clutch shot.
The former San Beda standout also tallied seven assists and four rebounds while shooting an efficient 11-of-19 from the field and 8-of-10 from the free-throw line.
Brownlee’s brilliance nearly carried Ginebra through, as he poured in 46 points on top of eight assists and six rebounds in 43 minutes. But his big night still ended in frustration as the Kings came up empty in the closing seconds.
Trailing 113-117 with 18.1 seconds left, Ginebra looked to force overtime, but Scottie Thompson missed on a potential game-tying attempt, and the Kings failed to produce a last push.
For NLEX, it was a statement win built on poise, persistence and shot-making under pressure. For Ginebra, Brownlee’s monster performance went to waste as the Kings absorbed their first setback of the conference.
NLEX now owns victories over Blackwater, Magnolia and Ginebra, while Ginebra heads back to the drawing board after failing to build on its triumphant conference debut.