Gonzales Nails Buzzer-Beater as Road Warriors Shock Bolts in OT

L-Jay Gonzales made the defining play of his young Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) career, hitting a clutch three-pointer at the buzzer to lift NLEX past Meralco, 104-101, in a thrilling overtime finish on Friday night at the Ynares Center II in Montalban.

The rookie guard from FEU kept his composure under pressure, knocking down the game-winning shot after a broken play, receiving a crucial pass from Robert Bolick. The shot capped off a dramatic comeback for the Road Warriors, who had trailed 89-81 late in regulation before forcing overtime.

Gonzales finished with 15 points, with his final basket securing NLEX’s fourth consecutive win and pushing the team into second place with a 6-1 record, just behind unbeaten Rain or Shine.

The Road Warriors faced a challenge earlier in the game when head coach Jong Uichico was ejected in the second quarter. Assistant coach Borgie Hermida took over the coaching duties for the remainder of the game.

“The play was designed to disguise because we had been running the same few plays in the final minutes of regulation,” Hermida explained. “I thought we needed something different, and it eventually opened up for L-Jay. Fortunately, he made it.”

Cady Lalanne was a dominant force for NLEX, posting a monster double-double with 34 points and 25 rebounds, adding three assists and three blocks despite dealing with foul trouble. Deschon Winston contributed 21 points, while Bolick orchestrated the offense with 11 points and eight assists.

NLEX made a strong push in the fourth quarter, overcoming a 13-point deficit early on. A four-point play by Winston and a key three-pointer from Lalanne sparked the comeback. The Road Warriors closed regulation on a 21-8 run, highlighted by a stepback triple from Bolick that tied the game at 89 with under 30 seconds to go.

Meralco had a chance to win in regulation, but import Marvin Jones missed a potential game-winning three-pointer. In overtime, Jason Brickman tied the game at 101 with 12.3 seconds left, setting the stage for Gonzales' buzzer-beater.

“I’m really thankful to my teammates for their trust in me,” Gonzales said. “Those kinds of moments, I really have to work for them. It’s not something they just give to you.”

The win gives NLEX momentum heading into their next game against San Miguel Beer on Sunday in Antipolo.

“It’s a huge win for us, especially with San Miguel coming up,” Hermida said. “We need to be confident going into Sunday’s game.”

Meralco was led by Marvin Jones, who finished with 25 points and 13 rebounds, but the Bolts saw their three-game winning streak snapped, falling to 5-2. Chris Newsome added 19 points, while Javee Mocon tallied 17 points against his former team. CJ Cansino and Brickman chipped in with 14 and 13 points, respectively, in the losing effort.