NLEX survives Terrafirma rally to keep Alapag unbeaten start intact

Jimmy Alapag stayed perfect in his first games as a Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) head coach, but NLEX had to withstand a furious Terrafirma comeback before escaping with a 101-100 victory in the PBA Season 50 Governors' Cup on Saturday at Ynares Center II in Montalban.

The Road Warriors looked headed for a comfortable finish after building a 23-point advantage, 90-67, entering the fourth quarter. However, the Dyip refused to fold, mounting a dramatic rally behind import Justin Strings and guards Maverick Ahanmisi and Juami Tiongson.

Terrafirma came charging back in the final period, highlighted by a 9-0 run from its key trio. Strings gave the Dyip a chance to steal the game when he hit a difficult isolation jumper with 42.7 seconds remaining, cutting the deficit to a single point at 101-100.

NLEX had opportunities to seal the win but missed crucial chances from Xyrus Torres and Robert Bolick, allowing Terrafirma to stay within striking distance. The Road Warriors, however, made the necessary defensive stops in the final seconds, forcing Tiongson and Strings into tough attempts on the last possession.

"I have to give a lot of credit to Terrafirma. They played a great game. I have to do a better job because I don't think I handled the fourth quarter well," Alapag said after NLEX was outscored 33-11 in the final period.

"The zone gave us problems, and that's credit to Terrafirma and their coaching staff. But we were still able to get the stops when we needed them."

Import DeQuan Jones led the Road Warriors with 30 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. He fueled NLEX's second-quarter surge by scoring 16 points in the period, including 12 during an 18-0 run that pushed the lead to 62-41 late in the first half.

Deschon Winston added 13 points, five rebounds, and six assists, while Bolick contributed 12 points as NLEX improved to 2-0 in the conference. According to PBA chief statistician Fidel Mangonon III, the victory marked the second consecutive conference in which the Road Warriors opened with back-to-back wins.

NLEX will try to extend its unbeaten run against winless Titan Ultra on Tuesday, July 14, at Ynares Center in Antipolo.

Terrafirma dropped to another close loss but showed plenty of resilience behind its key players. Tiongson paced the Dyip with 19 points, four rebounds, and three assists, while Ahanmisi matched his scoring output and added six rebounds and six assists.

Strings delivered an all-around performance with 18 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists, nearly completing the comeback for Terrafirma.

The Dyip will look to recover when they face Converge on Wednesday, July 15, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.