By REYNALD MAGALLON
There’s no stopping Robert Bolick.
After resetting his scoring career-high the last time out, Bolick flirted with a triple-double to lead NLEX to a pulsating 103-97 victory in the 2024 PBA Philippine Cup at the PhilSports Arena on Wednesday, March 13.
The high-scoring guard provided the tip to the Road Warriors’ spear as he delivered two dagger triples in the waning minutes that all but sent the overachieving Bossing crashing back to the earth after a hot 3-0 start to the conference.
Bolick came a rebound and an assist shy of a triple double after finishing with 21 points, nine rebounds and nine assists. He also buried four triples – none bigger than the last two that capped a blazing 11-2 finishing kick for NLEX.
Rookie Jhan Nermal also provided solid contributions with 16 points – 13 of which came in the final frame — apart from seven rebounds while fellow freshman Dominic Fajardo added a season-high 14 points for the Road Warriors who are missing the services of head coach Frankie Lim and veteran forward Sean Anthony.
Baser Amer added 12 points while Anthony Semerad had 11 across his name.
Meantime, RR Garcia displayed his vintage form as Phoenix pulled away late in the final frame to pick up its first win.
The veteran point guard was a key figure in the pivotal 16-2 run in the final period which allowed the Fuel Masters to establish a double-digit margin that they never relinquished until the final frame.
Phoenix also finally barged into the win column after opening the all-Filipino conference with a pair of tough losses against NorthPort and Ginebra.
Garcia orchestrated the offense for Phoenix in the absence of injured starting guard Tyler Tio with season-high 20 points, six rebounds and career-high 10 assists without a single turnover in 26 minutes of play.
Jason Perkins was favorite recipient to Garcia’s nifty passes to finish with 18 points on top of seven rebounds and five assists. Rookie Ken Tuffin added 17 points and nine rebounds while Larry Muyang also had 13 points.
