Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Tiebreaker Times

Basketball

PBA: NLEX rolls to 4th straight win, sends Magnolia skidding


NLEX dealt the depleted Magnolia an 87-74 beating for its fourth win in a row in the PBA Season 48 Philippine Cup, Saturday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

The Road Warriors jumped to a 26-10 start, and that set the tone for the wire-to-wire win as they went on to become one of the conference’s hottest teams after beating a Hotshots side that badly missed the services of Calvin Abueva.

The ‘Beast’ served a one-game suspension imposed by the Commissioner’s Office after flashing the middle finger to a fan early in their game versus Barangay Ginebra last Sunday, an offense that also got him fined Php 20,000.

“Malaking bagay ‘yun,” said head coach Frankie Lim as they beat a team that also didn’t have Rome Dela Rosa and Aris Dionisio due to ankle injuries.

It’s an absence that NLEX surely took advantage of on its way to snatching the provisional second place of the standings with a 5-1 record.

Robert Bolick led the way with 26 points and nine assists, with Tony Semerad backing him up with 22 points on a 5-of-9 clip from beyond the arc alongside 10 rebounds as he himself took advantage of Abueva’s absence.

“We were out for like 18 days and maganda naman ‘yung pacing namin …I thought ‘yung pacing namin sa players was crucial,” Lim said.

Russel Escoto and Ian Sangalang, meanwhile, finished with 13 points apiece to lead Magnolia, which absorbed its second loss in a row after a triumphant conference debut against Converge last March 15.

Mark Barroca was the only other double-digit scorer for the Hotshots with 10 as he fought through a sprained right wrist, which he got in the Easter Clasico.

#ReadMore  TNT withstands Rain or Shine fight back, snaps E-Painters' five-game streak

The Scores:

NLEX 87 – Bolick 26, Semerad 22, Herndon 9, Miranda 6, Amer 6, Fajardo 6, Nieto 6, Pascual 3, Nermal 2, Rodger 0, Marcelo 1, Anthony 0, Valdez 0.

Magnolia 74 – Escoto 13, Sangalang 13, Barroca 10, Laput 8, Jalalon 6, Corpuz 5, Lee 5, Mendoza 5, Ahanmisi 4, Eriobu 3, Reavis 0, Murrell 0.

Quarterscores: 26-12, 37-27, 67-47, 87-74

Written By

Oftentimes on the sidelines. Forever a student of the game. Morayta-bred.




You May Also Like

Basketball

Experience was the difference as Rain or Shine completed its upset of the twice-to-beat NLEX, 103-92, to formalize the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup...

Basketball

Kelly Williams came through in dire straits as TNT escaped Magnolia, 80-79, to overcome a twice-to-win disadvantage and advance to the PBA Season 49...

Basketball

June Mar Fajardo is on the prowl for a record-extending 12th PBA Best Player of the Conference award as he leads the race in...

Basketball

Roger Pogoy took the lead and the others followed as TNT kept its Grand Slam bid very much alive by disabling Magnolia’s win-once bonus,...

Basketball

Jhonard Clarito did a little bit of everything to help Rain or Shine disarm the twice-to-beat NLEX, 92-89, and send their PBA Season 49...

Basketball

JB Bahio’s hard work has finally paid off. The 6-foot-5 big man from Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu signed a two-year contract extension with the NLEX...

Basketball

Just days before entering the 2025 PBA Philippine Cup Quarterfinals, the NLEX Road Warriors took a detour to visit Sitero Francisco Memorial National High...

Basketball

Zavier Lucero and Magnolia held off a late rally by TNT to escape with an 88-83 victory and secure the second twice-to-beat advantage in...

Advertisement