Road Warriors survive FiberXers rally, remain unbeaten

NLEX preserved its perfect start in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Season 50 Governors’ Cup after holding off Converge’s comeback bid for a 119-107 victory on Saturday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

The Road Warriors overcame a major second-half challenge from the FiberXers after blowing a 19-point lead, relying on DeQuan Jones and Deschon Winston to deliver the decisive plays down the stretch.

Jones finished with 28 points and nine rebounds, while Winston added 24 points as the duo carried NLEX’s offense in the fourth quarter to secure the victory.

NLEX looked headed for a comfortable win after erupting for 42 points in the opening period to build a 42-27 advantage. Converge, however, responded with a 37-point second quarter to cut the deficit to just one point at halftime.

The FiberXers continued to threaten in the second half, pulling within two points and putting pressure on the league-leading Road Warriors.

But NLEX answered when it mattered most. Jones sparked a crucial 12-0 run in the fourth quarter that pushed the lead to 117-105 with 2:36 remaining and sealed the outcome.

The win improved NLEX’s record to 5-0, keeping the Road Warriors alone at the top of Group A.

“Converge had a tough loss in their last game, and we expected them to come out and play really well, and they did,” said NLEX head coach Jimmy Alapag.

“But I thought Schonny really did take the game over together with Berto (Bolick) in the second half to get the win.”

Bolick nearly recorded a triple-double with 19 points, 10 assists, and nine rebounds, while Tony Semerad added 15 points on five three-pointers. Kevin Alas chipped in 14 points.

NLEX will try to extend its unbeaten run against defending champion TNT on Tuesday, Aug. 4, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

The game will mark Alapag’s first meeting against his former team as a head coach.

“Obviously, there is a lot of history there. A lot of great memories there. And some of the guys who I played with are still there,” Alapag said.

“But again, we have a job to do for NLEX, and we’ll get back to work tomorrow and shift our focus to get ready for Tuesday.”

Converge, meanwhile, dropped to 3-3 after suffering its third consecutive defeat.

Jamaal Franklin led the FiberXers with 26 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. Mikey Williams scored 18 points, while Justin Arana added 16. Juan Gomez de Liano, Justine Baltazar, and Alec Stockton also finished in double figures.