MANILA, Philippines – The NLEX Road Warriors snapped their two-game losing skid by rallying from a double-digit deficit and defeating the top-seeded Meralco Bolts, 104-99, on Friday, March 11, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.
After going down 62-50 in the opening minutes of the third quarter, the Road Warriors took control the rest of the way and sent the Bolts to their second straight loss after a 5-0 start in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
The win ties NLEX with Mahindra, Barangay Ginebra, and Blackwater at 3-3 in the league standings.
Import Al Thornton led the way for his club with 38 points and 12 rebounds while Garvo Lanete provided 14 points off the bench.
“I do appreciate the effort of my players. They committed to play defense in the second half,” said NLEX coach Boyet Fernandez post game.
“I’m happy we got this game and got back to the winning column. I’m hoping this will be a good start for us looking ahead.”
It was a late 3-pointer by rookie Simon Enciso with 31 seconds left that put his team up 102-96, providing the cushion that allowed the Road Warriors to escape with the win.
Meralco import Arinze Onuaku led his team with 16 points and 18 rebounds while Jimmy Alapag had 11 points and 5 assists.
Scores:
NLEX (104): Thornton 38, Lanete 14, Alas 10, Anthony 9, Taulava 8, Khbuntin 7, E Villanueva 7, Enciso 6, J Villanueva 3, Reyes 2, Arboleda 0, Borbran 0
Meralco (99): Onuaku 16, Amer 14, Dillinger 14, Alapag 11, Ferriols 10, Newsome 10, Faundo 8, Hugnatan 8, Hodge 4, Bono 2, Caram 2, Buenafe 0, David 0
Quarter scores: 24-31; 50-57; 81-79; 104-99 – Rappler.com