NLEX subdued Terrafirma, 116-86, to extend its unbeaten run to four in the 2021-22 PBA Governors’ Cup, Saturday at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
KJ McDaniels turned in another stellar outing with 34 points on a 61-percent clip, 13 rebounds, four assists, three steals, and three blocks to power the Road Warriors in the victory that maintained their position atop the standings.
Twelve of his points came in the third quarter, including a triple at the buzzer to cap off his side’s 30-point performance in the said period that changed the game’s complexion after a nip-and-tuck affair right from the start.
They limited the Dyip to just 19 markers in that frame, which also saw Alex Cabagnot hobble to the bench with 2:05 left due to an Achilles injury.
It was all NLEX from there, even leading by as many as 31 points in the game’s final seconds as they coasted to the dominant victory.
Still, head coach Yeng Guiao said that there’s ‘cautious optimism’ on his part despite the 4-0 start, which equaled their all-time best start in team history.
“We’re happy with our start. I’m a little bit cautious, medyo cautious optimism pa rin kami,” he said. “I don’t think the other teams are as ready as we all should be, so meron pang mga teams diyan na di pa masyado nakahanda.
“It’s a good sign. But at the same time, we don’t want to be looking at ourselves like we’re in there and we’re contending at this point. We’re just trying to get better every day. That’s the mentality,” added Guiao.
Kevin Alas came off the bench and finished with 20 points. Rookie Calvin Oftana made 14 points and six rebounds, as Kris Rosales added 10.
Serving as another highlight in the triumph was Asi Taulava, who was fielded by Guiao with 2:14 left to play to formally mark his 22nd season in the PBA. The 48-year-old center finished with three points and a pair of rebounds.
“We’re happy for Asi, actually. I was just looking for the opportunity to bring him into the game and this is one of the opportunities,” said Guiao.
NLEX will now look to stretch its streak to five when it battles Phoenix Super LPG on Christmas Day at 4:00 p.m.
Meanwhile, Antonio Hester led Terrafirma with 27 points and 11 rebounds in their second loss in a row after winning versus Rain or Shine last week.
Juami Tiongson added 15 points for the Dyip, who also lost Roosevelt Adams with less than four minutes left in the game due to an apparent knee injury.
Terrafirma has the opportunity to snap its skid against the streaking San Miguel Beer on Sunday, December 26, at 4:00 p.m.
The Scores:
NLEX 116 – McDaniels 34, Alas 20, Oftana 14, Rosales 10, Trollano 9, Quinahan 8, Paniamogan 5, Semerad 4, Magat 4, Galanza 3, Taulava 3, Cruz 2, Ighalo 0.
Terrafirma 86 – Hester 27, Tiongson 15, Adams 7, Pascual 7, Batiller 7, Ganuelas-Rosser 7, Cabagnot 5, Ramos 5, Melton 3, Camson 3, Calvo 0, Gabayni 0, Balagasay 0.
Quarterscores: 23-20, 47-47, 77-66, 116-86
