NLEX Road Warriors dug deep and delivered in crunch time, outlasting the Meralco Bolts, 89-85, in a gritty PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup showdown Sunday night at the Ynares Sports Center in Antipolo.
It was a game of streaks and stops, but the Road Warriors showed more composure when it mattered most. “Disiplina lang, poise lang, and we tried to match their intensity,” said coach Jong Uichico, whose squad joined the Magnolia Hotshots, Converge FiberXers, TNT Tropang 5G, and Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in a crowded leaderboard at 3-1.
With NLEX clinging to a slim lead in the final seconds, Robert Bolick coolly sank two free throws to make it 89-85. Meralco still had one last gasp, but Bong Quinto’s desperate four-point heave at the buzzer clanked off the rim, sealing the Road Warriors’ triumph and snapping the Bolts’ three-game winning streak. Meralco fell to 3-3.
The Road Warriors aim to break free from the logjam when they face the Blackwater Bossing on Wednesday, while the Bolts look to rebound against TNT Tropang 5G in the same venue.
Three-year pro JB Bahio came up huge down the stretch, finishing with 16 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and two steals en route to Best Player of the Game honors. “Sabi ni Kuya Berto, ilaro ko lang laro ko. Kung ano ipinapakita ko sa praktis, ipakita ko sa game,” said Bahio, who shot efficiently on 5-of-9 from the field and 6-of-8 from the line.
Bolick nearly notched another triple-double with 11 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists, while Kevin Alas, Jonnel Policarpio, and Robert Herndon chipped in 12, 10, and 10 points, respectively.
Meralco’s CJ Cansino continued his torrid scoring run with 24 points, including back-to-back baskets that trimmed the deficit to two with 13.3 seconds left. But his heroics went to waste as the Bolts failed to complete the comeback.
Cliff Hodge and Chris Newsome also delivered monster double-doubles—Hodge with 14 points and 17 rebounds, Newsome with 21 and 11—but the Bolts simply couldn’t shake off the relentless Road Warriors.
It was another heartbreaker for Meralco, coming on the heels of their EASL Season 3 loss to Japan’s Ryukyu Golden Kings—a tough stretch that tests their resilience as they return to local play.
