The NLEX Road Warriors gave the returning Mac Cardona a rude welcome as they thwarted a Stanley Pringle-less Globalport Batang Pier, 109-99, Sunday night at a jam-packed SMART Araneta Coliseum.
The Road Warriors have now moved to a win away from clinching a twice-to-beat edge in the playoffs with a 7-2 card. Meanwhile, the Batang Pier, who played their second game in three days, dropped to 3-4.
“Swerte kami. Malaking swerte namin na ‘di nakapaglaro si Pringle,” said NLEX head coach Yeng Guiao of the win and of Pringle, who missed tonight’s game as he had to visit his ailing father. “It’s a big break. We got seven wins.”
“We need eight to make it to the Top Four. We have two more games versus TNT and Star, so ‘pag may natsambahan kami, dun kami mag-aabang,” he added.
Import Aaron Fuller powered the Road Warriors with 33 points, 20 rebounds, and three blocks. Juami Tiongson played stellar with a career-high 21 markers, with 14 coming from the final frame alone where he rained four three-pointers.
“Juami Tiongson played really good today,” lauded Guiao of his point guard. “That’s the way we want it — we want players stepping up. He was just playing so well that I allowed him to finish the game.”
The Road Warriors actually had a strong start, 27-9, in the opening frame, but the Batang Pier rallied back in the next two quarters. The men in black even took the lead for the first time, 63-62, after a Sean Anthony bucket midway into the third.
But NLEX simply had more gas in the end. After Globalport gave a scare, 96-91, after a Murphey Holloway jumper, they scored six straight points — capped by a Fuller bucket — to re-post a double-digit lead, 102-91, with 4:07 left to play.
A Juami Tiongson deuce with 40 ticks left proved to be the nail in the coffin that buried the Batang Pier.
JR Quiñahan contributed 18 points for NLEX. The backcourt tandem of Kevin Alas and Cyrus Baguio also made their mark with 12 and 10 points, respectively.
Holloway powered the Batang Pier with 29 points, 17 rebounds, six assists, and six steals. Terrence Romeo supplied 24 points spiked by six triples, while Anthony flirted with a double-double of 15 markers and nine caroms.
Cardona scored only four in his return to the pro league.
NLEX’s defense forced Globalport to 22 turnovers, and they converted it to 28 points. They also scored off the break better, 20-17, but Globalport’s bench had more points, 46-42.
NLEX will play the TNT Katropa on September 13, Wednesday, 7:00 PM at the Ynares Center in Antipolo, while Globalport will aim to bounce back versus the Alaska Aces on Friday, September 8, at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The Scores:
NLEX 109 – Fuller 33, Tiongson 21, Quinahan 18, Alas 12, Baguio 10, Mallari 8, Fonacier 4, Ighalo 3, Al-Hussaini 0, Lastimosa 0, J. Villanueva 0, Soyud 0, Taulava 0.
Globalport 99 – Holloway 29, Romeo 24, Anthony 15, Cortez 9, Arana 9, Guinto 6, Cardona 4, Baracael 3, Mamaril 0, Hubalde 0, Celiz 0.
Quarterscores: 33-22, 56-54, 78-76, 109-99.
