BENGALURU, India — A flagrant foul all but decided the outcome as NLEX survived Phoenix Super LPG, 97-92, to start the PBA Season 50 Governors’ Cup quarterfinals, Sunday evening at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.
The Road Warriors were clinging on to a 94-92 lead and the Fuel Masters were still very much in it, but import Marcellus Earlington collided with Enoch Valdez as the latter was trying to get past midcourt, flooring the young wing.
Earlington was later on assessed with a flagrant foul and that subsequently meant the end of it for him, as well as the beginning of doom for his side.
LJ Gonzales widened the gap to three with a split, before Deonte Burton sealed the deal with a perfect trip to the line for the final count with 13.8 seconds left.
By weathering Phoenix, Coach Jimmy Alapag and his men have gained the head start in their best-of-5 series, and could take a commanding 2-0 lead in Game 2 on Wednesday, October 28, 7:30 p.m. still at Ynares Antipolo.
