NLEX routs RoS; Meralco drains Blackwater in second day of PBA restart
MANILA, Philippines – The NLEX Road Warriors and the Meralco Bolts took wins in the first two games of the PBA's second day of quadruple headers at the bubble in Clark City, Pampanga.
The Road Warriors, who finally barged back into the win column by humbling league leaders TnT Tropang Giga last week, built on their momentum and trumped Rain or Shine, 94-74.
With their postseason hopes on the line, the Road Warriors eked out the impressive win led by Kevin Alas, who finished with 18 points.
NLEX waxed hot from rainbow country, nailing 16 treys while also limiting the Elasto Painters to a poor 32% shooting with their defense.
After controlling the pace for most of the game, the Road Warriors outscored their foes 30-17 in the fourth quarter to pull away with the win.
They improve to a 3-5 slate to keep their quarterfinals bid alive.
Meanwhile, the Bolts had to fend off a pesky Blackwater side in the second game, 89-85.
The Elite, who also played Tuesday in an overtime game against the San Miguel Beermen, lost steam against the Bolts after trying to mount a comeback in the final salvo.
The Bolts held a double-digit lead at one point in the game but was trimmed to just one-possession leads late in the match.
But a Raymond Almazan tip-in with about a minute left in the contest gave the Bolts enough breathing room, 85-78.
Though Don Trollano snagged an and-one opportunity to cut the lead to within four, he couldn't convert on the bonus and eventually the clock ran out on the Elite.
The Elite are now on a four game slide with a 2-5 slate, while the Bolts improve to above-500 with a 4-3 record.
The Magnolia Hotshots will face off against the TnT Tropang Giga and NorthPort Batang Pier clash with Barangay Ginebra San Miguel at 4 p.m. and 6:45 p.m., respectively, in the third and fourth games of the day.
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