WITH wingman Don Trollano running rings around Terrafirma defenders, NLEX rolled to an emphatic victory and kept alive its bid for a coveted twice-to-beat advantage last night.
The Road Warriors demolished the hapless Dyip 142-125 for their second straight win in the PBA Governors’ Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The 6-foot-3 Trollano dazzled with a career-high 44 points, 24 of them coming in the third quarter, punctuated by nine three-pointers in an effort he laced with three rebounds and three assists.
Import Wayne Selden Jr. also chipped in 38 markers, six boards, and eight dimes, while Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser and Kevin Alas added 19 and 15 points, respectively, for the Road Warriors, who scored a big follow up to a 110-99 triumph over Rain or Shine six days ago and moved to 7-3 and within its target of a Top Four finish that will be rewarded with a win-once bonus in the quarterfinals.
Terrafirma absorbed its fifth straight loss, including a 100-115 whipping at the hands of NorthPort last Feb. 22 for a 2-7 slate in the season-ending tourney.
Despite Trollano’s big night and his charges booming in 23 triples that tied the all-time record set by TNT and San Miguel Beer, NLEX coach Frankie Lim said the triumph will not matter if they don’t clinch a twice-to-beat edge.
“What matters most is the win and I think the records, or the scores will just come in but mas important iyong win namin tonight because just like what Don said, in my pre-game I told them na it’s a must-win for us,” Lim said. “You cannot take Terrafirma lightly and we need this win to maintain our standing in the Top Four.
“If you remember (in the) last conference, we lost to Terrafirma and that destroyed all our dreams of entering the quarterfinals. It’s payback time. Let’s get this one and we’ll think of ways on how to beat San Miguel in our last game,” he added.
