Jong Uichico's NLEX Road Warriors remain in the hunt for a playoff spot after silencing guest team Eastern in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup.
NLEX rookie Xyrus Torres was seemingly waiting for the rest of the Road Warriors to get down the court before doing anything.
But just a few steps before reaching the half court, Torres decided to throw a no-look lob to reinforcement Mike Watkins for an emphatic dunk to the delight of the crowd at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.
That play buried Eastern deeper, and the Road Warriors claimed a 94-76 win in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup on Wednesday, Jan. 29.
Watkins went on to finish with a whopping game-high of 41 points he complemented with 14 rebounds, two assists and two blocks as NLEX neared the completion of its quarterfinal goal with its 6-6 win-loss record at the end of its elims campaign.
Robert Bolick was also stellar with his 21 points, five rebounds and eight assists.
[ALSO READ: Do influencers deserve a spot in the pros like the PBA? Coaches Guiao, Reyes, Tiu weigh in]
Such was a welcome development for the Road Warriors, who weeks ago were in danger of getting the boot in the mid-season tournament.
“Earlier, two weeks ago, we were on the brink of elimination. Pero ngayon, may tsansa na kami. So we’ll take this,” said NLEX coach Jong Uichico, whose team used a 29-19 fourth period to break away from the guest team.
Jong Uichico and his NLEX Road Warriors remain in contention for a quarterfinal berth in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner's Cup. | Photo (c) RM Chua/One Sports
The path to the playoffs is only expected to get tougher, but Uichico does not mind.
To get an outright seat in the playoffs, NLEX needs Meralco to beat Magnolia on Friday, Jan. 31.
“I’ll always be glad to have a chance to get to the next round. How we get there, bahala na,” Uichico said.
“I like that opportunity that we can always get to the next round. If it’s outright, fine. If it’s a playoff, 'pag knockout, then sige na.”
[ALSO READ: Ticking off my Bucket List: Kevin Alas wants to be in this field after PBA]
Meanwhile, Chris McLaughlin paced Eastern with 18 points, 17 boards, five assists and two steals. But he could not do much to tame Watkins downlow.
Hayden Blankley added 14 points, while Glen Yang and Kobey Lam chipped in 12 and 11 points, respectively, for the visitors, who dropped to 7-5.
The Scores:
NLEX 94 – Watkins 41, Bolick 21, Mocon 9, Policarpio 9, Herndon 6, Torres 5, Ramirez 3, Alas 0, Semerad 0.
EASTERN 76 – McLaughlin 18, Blankley 14, Yang 12, Lam 11, Cao 5, Cheung 5, Chan 4, Guinchard 3, Pok 2, Leung 2.
Quarterscores: 18-23, 43-42, 65-57, 94-76