Road Warriors trounce Bossing to squeeze out of 3-game skid

NLEX routed Blackwater, 98-68, on Friday to halt a three-game skid in the Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup at the Ynares Sports Center in Antipolo City.

The Road Warriors—behind Don Trollano, Calvin Oftana, Jay-r Quiñahan and Justin Chua—dropped a 31-2 bomb on the Bossing and never looked back to improve to 5-5 wonlost for seventh place.

“Our first group did a pretty good job, and everyone knows that our season was on the line in this game,” said Trollano, who finished with 16 points. “There were games in the past that we had a big advantage, but we still lost. Those were lessons for us.”

NLEX posted its biggest lead 8746 early in the fourth quarter.

Oftana scattered 15 points and grabbed eight rebounds while Quiñahan added 12 points. Chua missed a double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds, while playmaker Kris Rosales contributed eight rebounds for the Road Warriors.

“It’s really our defense that carried us in this game. If our defense is fantastic, our offense will surely follow,” NLEX Coach Yang Guiao said. “And that’s exactly the story of the game.”

No Bossing was able to score in double digits as the team struggled with a 14 of 49 shooting from and went 10 of 25 from beyond the three-point zone.

Center-forward Yousef Taha, who stopped the bleeding with a basket at the 7:50 mark of the first quarter, had nine points and nine rebounds to lead the Bossing, who suffered their third straight defeat to drop to 5-4.

They are now forced to win their remaining games—against Converge on Wednesday and Magnolia on July 22—to make it to the eight-team quarterfinals.