NLEX locked a best-of-three quarterfinals spot after weathering a comeback scare from Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, 76-72, to end its Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup elimination round on a high note Sunday night at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Richie Rodger picked up a bad inbound pass by Gin Kings guard Von Pessumal in a crucial denial by the Road Warriors in the last two seconds of the game while protecting a two-point lead for the amazing escape that formalized their playoffs entry.

Rodger then iced NLEX’s sixth win in 11 outings that ended a four-game slump with a couple of foul shots.   

The Road Warriors are tied with Magnolia, Rain or Shine and Meralco, which they will face in the race to two playoffs series. NLEX avoided going down to the seventh spot with a better quotient compared to the Hotshots, whom the second seed and twice-to-beat Gin Kings will take on in the next round.

“After four consecutive losses, it’s nice to get a win again especially against Ginebra,” Road Warriors coach Frankie Lim said.

“Although we should’ve handled our last five minutes better. Sometimes you make bad decisions and I felt that we could’ve had better shots. But my guys didn’t give up.”

Robert Bolick had 25 points, eight assists and six rebounds while Rodger had 11 markers as the only Road Warriors in double figures.

NLEX saw its 73-61 lead in the last seven minutes of the game dwindle to a solitary point after Ginebra made an 11-0 run capped by Maverick Ahanmisi’s second of three foul shots in the last 32 seconds of the match.

Ahanmisi, however, missed his last free throw as Baser Amer also split his foul shots on the other side giving the Gin Kings one last play to force an overtime only to be thwarted by the Road Warriors’ defense.

Ginebra finished with a 7-4 card.

Christian Standhardinger had 19 points and 10 rebounds, Japeth Aguilar had 15 markers while Ahanmisi scored 14 for the Gin Kings.

Box scores:

NLEX (76) –-- Bolick 25, Rodger 11, Herndon 9, Miranda 8, Semerad 8, Amer 7, Anthony 4, Marcelo 4, Fajardo 0, Valdez 0, Taha 0

GINEBRA (72) --- Standhardinger 19, J.Aguilar 15, Ahanmisi 14, Pringle 7, Cu 5, Thompson 4, Tenorio 2, Pessumal 2, Onwubere 2, David 0, Pinto 0, Murrell 0

Quarters: 23-16, 35-32, 59-54, 76-72

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