NLEX passes Titan test, seals No. 1 spot
NLEX entered Tuesday night’s assignment already with a twice-to-beat advantage.
They came out of it as the No. 1 seed.
The Road Warriors, needing as much preparation as they can get heading into the next round, got the workout they sought in a 123-112 overtime victory over Titan Ultra in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
It was the 10th win in 12 games for NLEX, and it wasn’t exactly a non-bearing one.
“Every game is still important, especially for this team. We need this experience because it’s important,” said top guard Robert Bolick, who finished with a triple-double of 25 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists.
“It was not a very pretty win. We needed it, though, because we [need to have the mindset] that we have to win every game.”
The Road Warriors struggled against the Giant Risers in regulation, trailing several times. They got their act together in overtime, using a 6-0 run to seize a 113-107 advantage.
It was anything but competitive from that point.
Titan Ultra provided NLEX with quite the test in regulation, holding the lead until late in the match, before Schonny Winston and Cady Lalanne hit back-to-back buckets for a 107-104 lead with 2:02 remaining.
Starters’ load
Even then, The Road Warriors needed a string of misses from the Giant Risers, including a flubbed transition attempt by Joshua Munzon, before they could buy an extra five minutes to get the job done.
NLEX even trailed by nine at the half, 59-50, and needed its starters to shoulder more of the load than initially planned.
“I wanted to give the others some playing time because we might need it for the playoffs,” coach Jong Uichico explained.
“We wanted to come out with a win, so we had to play the starters longer minutes in the second half,” he added.
Lalanne turned in a double-double of 29 points and 20 rebounds for NLEX while Winston added 24.
Gilmore finished with 25 points and 18 boards in the Giant Risers’ defeat. Munzon tallied an all-around game of 19 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists.
