NLEX relied on the hot shooting hands of its key players in the payoff period to pull off a stunning 105-99 victory over Alaska and draw first blood in Game 1 of their PBA Philippine Cup quarterfinal duel at the Mall of Asia Arena last night.
Down by four, 90-94 with 3:33 remaining in the game, the Road Warriors brought their offense back to life with Larry Fonacier scoring four straight points and Michael Miranda and Kiefer Ravena finishing off the Aces to lead their best-of-three affair at 1-0.
Ravena topscored for NLEX with 25 points, while Fonacier and Kevin Alas contributed 18 and 17 points, respectively.
JR Quinahan and Miranda also finished in double figures, chipping in 12 and 10 points, respectively.
The Road Warriors actually held their ground against the Aces, with Ravena, Alas and Fonacier leading the charge and erected a 50-40 halftime advantage.
Alaska managed to chip away at the deficit and took the driver’s seat 84-79 in the nine-minute mark of the final quarter and looked poised to complete the reversal.
But NLEX was not to be denied, as Fonacier, Miranda and Ravena took over the reins in the crucial point of the match to walk away with the victory.
“I’m just relieved that Game One is over—that’s the good news,” Road Warriors coach Yeng Guiao said. “The bad news is we have to go through this again.”
Meanwhile, San Miguel and Magnolia set out today seeking an outright semifinals berth against their respective foes.
The Beermen clash with Talk N Text in the opening 4:30 p.m. duel while the Hotshots tangle with Globalport in the main game at 7 p.m.