IT was one of those nights when NLEX coach Frankie Lim’s fear that his charges would fall into a deep slumber in the third quarter proved to be well-founded against a fast-starting Meralco five.
“I warned our team about our third-quarter collapse. It happens all the time at nangyari na naman, it was a 15-point swing,” Lim said. “We just have to give extra effort.
“It’s the first time we played all small. Maganda naman ang naging resulta. We have a lot of offensive options,” he added.
Lim spoke after his team pulled off a gutsy 99-96 victory over the Bolts last Wednesday night for their second win in the PBA Philippine Cup.
A Raymar Jose basket stretched Meralco’s lead to as much as 68-58 at the 2:38 mark of the third canto and the team still held a 72-64 lead heading into the final stanza.
But Road Warriors star Robert Bolick won’t have any of it.
The 6-foot-1 spitfire poured 16 of his game-high 26 points in the fourth he laced with eight rebounds, and four assists for NLEX, while rookie Enoch Valdez chipped in 12 markers, including a crucial layup off a steal on Meralco guard Chris Newsome that gave the Road Warriors a 94-91 cushion with 39.4 seconds to go.
Another NLEX newcomer in Jhan Nermal also had 11 and two as Lim’s wards redeemed themselves from a sorry 95-99 loss to the Terrafirma Dyip last Sunday and improved to 2-1.
The Bolts failed to sustain the grit they showed in a 121-117 overtime decision over the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters last Saturday and dropped to 1-2.
Lim gushed at Bolick’s endgame brilliance no end, saying: “Buti na lang may Bolick kami. Isipin mo kung wala ito rito.
“I want to look at it as a team effort. Lahat may kanya-kaniyang ambag. But siyempre, medyo special ito, may pula sa noo, parang siopao,” he added.
Newsome paced Meralco with 22 points, eight caroms, and four dimes, while Jose had 14 markers and four rebounds.
Raymond Almazan, Allein Maliksi, and Cliff Hodge also got 13, 12, and 10 points, respectively, for the Bolts.
Bolick said the come-from-behind triumph was a total team effort.
“I thank my teammates who are ready. Shoutout to Dom (Fajardo) and Robbie (Herndon). When they were called by coach, they provided quality plays,” he said. “I am very proud of them. They are really ready to play. It is really a team effort.
“They are really the ones who led the team to the victory, the two of them.”
