NLEX outlasted NorthPort in overtime, 107-100, in a pulsating PBA Season 48 Philippine Cup debut on Friday night at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
Robert Bolick broke the 100-all knot through free throws with 1:27 left, and baskets by Dave Marcelo and Tony Semerad afterwards proved enough to save the Road Warriors after losing a two-possession lead late in regulation.
Bolick finished with 31 points, five rebounds, and five assists as he led the welcoming committee to new teammates Baser Amer and Ato Ular.
“That final five minutes was all about heart,” lauded head coach Frankie Lim, who turned 64 on February 29. “The guys really wanted to win.”
Rookie Enoch Valdez flirted with a double-double as he finished with 16 points and nine rebounds, along with three steals, in the victory that enabled NLEX to join the winners’ circle featuring Blackwater, TNT, and Terrafirma.
Semerad and Sean Anthony provided 15 points, with the latter adding nine rebounds to his name as all but one of the 11 fielded scored at least two.
“Teammates ko ready din sila to step up,” Bolick said. “Last conference, sabi nga ni Coach Frankie, ilang beses kami lumalamang, tas natatalo e.
“Ngayon lamang na naman kami tapos nag-overtime pa. Buti ngayon, medyo positive ‘yung nangyari. Lumaban pa rin kami,” he added.
Arvin Tolentino, on the other hand, led the Batang Pier with 29 points — spiked by three triples — and seven rebounds in the rally that fell short.
The star winger pushed the game into OT, lifting his side from a 97-93 deficit with 31.6 seconds left in the fourth quarter. However, he could no longer find the same form in the extra period as NLEX went away with the seven-point win.
Allyn Bulanadi made 19 points in the loss that spoiled the return of William Navarro and the PBA debut of rookie forward Zav Lucero.
Nonetheless, it was a commendable showing for the young guns. Lucero finished with 13 points and eight rebounds, while Navarro had 12 points and 13 rebounds as the two combined for six of the team’s 11 blocks.
The Scores:
NLEX 107 – Bolick 31, Valdez 16, Anthony 15, Semerad 15, Pascual 9, Ular 6, Nieto 5, Marcelo 4, Miranda 3, Amer 2, Nermal 0.
NorthPort 100 – Tolentino 29, Bulanadi 19, Lucero 13, Navarro 12, Munzon 8, Zamar 6, Calma 4, Flores 4, Rosales 2, Chan 2, Paraiso 1, Cuntapay 0, Yu 0.
Quarterscores: 29-25, 55-50, 74-72, 98-98, 107-100.
