NLEX rode on the shoulder of Robert Bolick and a couple of lucky breaks in the end game for a 107-100 overtime escape over NorthPort in the Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup Friday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Bolick was lights out on offense with 31 points in his first game against his former team. He shot 9-of-22 from the field and had 10-of-13 from the free throw line for NLEX
“Luckily, we have Robert Bolick here to save the day for us,” Road Warriors head coach Frankie Lim said.
Bolick shattered a 100-100 deadlock with two charities in the last 1:27 of the overtime that ignited the Road Warriors’ closing 7-0 barrage.
“It’s all about heart. Before the game I was talking to them about our next 12 days, we’re gonna have five games and its gonna be nice to always be on a roll. This is the start of our roll,” Lim said.
“Winning the game will give us a lot of confidence going into our next game.”
Enoch Valdez got 16 points and nine rebounds, while Sean Anthony and Anthony Semerad had 15 markers each for NLEX.
Dave Marcelo was at the right place at the right time, picking up the loose ball after a missed jumper by Bolick for an and-one basket. He missed the bonus free throw but still gave the Road Warriors a 104-100 advantage with 50.2 seconds left in overtime.
Arvin Tolentino tried to answer from the outside but came up short. Allyn Bulanadi got the offensive board but lost the handle as Anthony Semerad pocketed an unchallenged layup to extend NLEX’s lead.
Bolick, who had five rebounds and five assists, sealed the win with a split from the line.
Tolentino knotted the game after drilling a basket down low with 1:31 left in regulation. Bolick put NLEX back on top with a split from the foul line in the other end followed by a defensive gem from Enoch Valdez, stealing the ball intended for Lucero.
Semerad snuck in a triple from the left corner pocket gave the Road Warriors a 97-93 lead with 31.6 seconds remaining but Tolentino refused to let NLEX get away with an easy win. He retaliated with a triple off the timeout before sinking the game-tying basket for a 98-98 deadlock with 7.1 ticks left in regulation following a split by NLEX guard Matt Nieto.
Bolick tried to win it for the Road Warriors but his jumper rattled off the ring as time expired, forcing a five-minute extension.
Tolentino had 29 points, Bulanadi finished with 19 while rookie Zav Lucero, the No. 5 pick overall in the last draft, debuted with 13 points and eight boards for the Batang Pier.
Will Navarro also made his return after recovering from a knee injury to finish with 12.
