CRUISE CONTROL: Bolick flirts with triple-double, fuels NLEX attack

NLEX’s firepower proved too much for luckless Blackwater to handle.

Myke Henry and Robert Bolick connived as the Road Warriors plowed through the Bossing, 104-87, for a great start in Group B of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Governors’ Cup on Thursday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

NLEX took control of the game as early as the second quarter, opening a 27-point gap enough to cushion Blackwater’s fightback in the payoff period and welcome new coach Jong Uichico with a win.

“I think we defended pretty well especially in the first half. In the third quarter they had a run. But that’s the way the game is and we should learn how to break that kind of run because it could happen later on. We’re able to break the run but still I think we weren’t able to run as soon as I wanted to,” said Uichico, who replaced Frankie Lim during the offseason.

“Good thing we have Berto (Bolick) with us. He knows how to run the team. He knows what’s needed when things are not going well. He finds a way to break the streak, to score, to defend. That’s what Robert is here for.”

Bolick flirted with a triple-double after finishing with 24 points off an 8-of-12 field goal shooting, 11 assists and nine rebounds he laced with two steals in another stellar outing.

The Philippine Cup scoring leader actually had a chance to seal his 10th board in the dying seconds of the game if not for Henry grabbing the ball with his two hands and plucking it down.

“I told Myke, ‘Mine!’ but he took it. But it’s okay,” Bolick, who punched in a four-pointer midway in the third quarter, said with a laugh.

Henry finished with 31 points and 10 rebounds while Robert Herndon and Richie Rodger scored 12 and 10 markers, respectively, including a trey each late in the game to quell Blackwater’s uprising.

The Bossing cut down their deficit to 83-94 with 2:19 left in the fourth after Justin Chua completed a three-point play. Rodger answered with a triple off Bolick’s 10th assist.

Herndon then added another triple to push NLEX’s lead to 100-85 with 1:05 remaining.

NLEX created enough breathing room in the second quarter by outscoring Blackwater, 28-15, after just a one-point lead at the end of the opening period.

Henry unleashed 21 points in the first 24 minutes of action as the Road Warriors took a comfortable, 51-37, advantage heading into the intermission.

Blackwater import Ricky Ledo’s woeful shooting lingered in his second start, scoring just five points in the first half on a terrible 2-of-9 field goal clip including six missed triples.

Ledo hurt his left foot early in the game which bothered him throughout the first two quarters. He was scoreless in the third quarter and ended with just six points on 2-of-15 shooting and nine boards.

Bossing rookie Sedrick Barefield also struggled in the opening half and only had four points under his name at the break.

He had 16 points while Christian David and Troy Rosario added 17 each but not enough to save the Bossing from their second loss in as many games.

Blackwater’s situation turned from bad to worse in the third quarter.

The Bossing, however, showed signs of life in the fourth quarter, stringing 13 unanswered points to chop down their 27-point deficit punctuated by a Baser Amer triple early in the canto to 75-89 with 7:23 left in the game.

The Scores:

NLEX (104) — Henry 31, Bolick 24, Herndon 12, Rodger 10, Semerad 8, Valdez 6, Policarpio 5, Fajardo 5, Amer 3, Nieto 0, Pascual 0.

BLACKWATER (87) — David 17, Rosario 17, Barefield 16, Tungcab 6, Kwekuteye 6, Ledo 6, Chua 5, Ponferrada 4, Hill 4, Montalbo 2, Casio 2, Guinto 2, Suerte 0.

QUARTERS: 23-22, 51-37, 84-62, 104-87.