NLEX, ROS notch key wins in PBA Philippine Cup twinbill

The NLEX Road Warriors and Rain or Shine Elasto Painters came out victorious at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium on Wednesday, May 8, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium, to boost their campaign in PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup.

NLEX stretched its winning streak to four games with a hard-fought 89-86 win over Barangay Ginebra, surviving a fourth-quarter scare led by Gin Kings guard Stephen Holt.

Despite playing with a bruised quadriceps, Robert Bolick still led the Road Warriors with 28 points on an efficient 3-of-3 shooting from beyond the arc, while adding seven rebounds and four assists. He even delivered timely baskets in the last two minutes of the game to secure their 89-86 victory against the Kings.

Xyrus Torres hit the go-ahead triple to give NLEX an 87-86 lead with under a minute remaining. Brandon Ramirez and Kevin Alas also scored in double figures with 11 and 10 points respectively, although Ramirez exited early due to a suspected dislocated jaw after an accidental hit from Jamie Malonzo.

The Road Warriors improved to 4-1, while Ginebra dropped to an even 2-2 record.

Holt finished with 21 points, including 18 in the fourth quarter alone to pace Ginebra, while Scottie Thompson added 20. Ginebra had a chance to win it in the closing seconds, but missed its final two attempts from the field.

Earlier, Rain or Shine used a strong fourth-quarter run to secure a 120-106 win over Blackwater and bounce back from their previous loss.

The Elasto Painters outscored the Bossing 29-15 in the final period, breaking away from a 91-all tie. Adrian Nocum tallied 23 points, including six during the decisive 18-4 run, while Keith Datu led the team with 27 points—20 of which came in the first half.

Caelan Tiongson, who returned from injury and played on his 33rd birthday, contributed 14 points. Rain or Shine also received balanced scoring with six players hitting double digits.

Despite a strong shooting performance in the first half—Blackwater hit 15 threes and three four-point plays overall—the Bossing failed to maintain their pace late in the game. Christian David led them with 28 points while Sedrick Barefield had 23.

Coach Yeng Guiao credited the win to improved defensive effort in the second half. “We just stayed patient. Eventually, we got the stops we needed,” he said.

With the result, Rain or Shine moved to 3-2 in the standings, while Blackwater dropped to 1-3.

First Game:
RAIN OR SHINE 120 - Datu 27, Nocum 23, Tiongson 14, Caracut 11, Mamuyac 11, Clarito 10, Santillan 9, Lemetti 8, Norwood 3, Asistio 3, Belga 0.

BLACKWATER 106 - David 28, Barefield 23, Ilagan 16, Ayonayon 9, Casio 8, Guinto 6, Andrade 5, Escoto 5, Mallilin 4, Chua 2, Tratter 0.

Quarter Scores: 37-33, 60-68, 91-91, 120-106.

Second Game:

NLEX 89 - Bolick 28, Torres 11, Ramirez 11, Alas 10, Mocon 8, Bahio 6, Semerad 6, Fajardo 5, Rodger 2, Policarpio 2, Nieto 0.

GINEBRA 86 - Holt 21, Thompson 20, Malonzo 11, Abarrientos 11, Rosario 8, J.Aguilar 7, Adamos 6, Pinto 2, Cu 0, David 0, Mariano 0.

Quarter Scores: 13-23, 37-36, 67-53, 89-86.