PBA: Bolick delivers in the clutch as NLEX downs Barangay Ginebra, spoils Brownlee’s 46

Robert Bolick came through in crunch time as NLEX defeated Barangay Ginebra, 118-113, in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup on Friday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Trailing 113-110 with under two minutes remaining, Cody Lalanne sparked a late rally for the Road Warriors before Bolick buried a triple, igniting his personal 6-0 run to seal the win.

NLEX had earlier erased a 41-28 deficit in the first half, a performance that head coach Jong Uichico hopes signals growth for his squad.

“Mahirap kalaban ang Ginebra because of their championship experience. This game, hopefully, gets us to the next level, ibig sabihin we know how to play close games,” Uichico said.

Bolick finished with 32 points, including 11 in the third quarter, along with seven assists, four rebounds, and a steal. Import Cady Lalanne added 28 points, 14 rebounds, two assists, and two steals, while Schonny Winston and Ljay Gonzales chipped in 21 and 14 points, respectively.

The victory spoiled Justin Brownlee’s explosive 46-point outing for Barangay Ginebra, which also included eight assists and six rebounds. RJ Abarrientos and Japeth Aguilar scored 14 points each, while Troy Rosario and Stephen Holt contributed 11 and 10, respectively.

With the win, the Road Warriors improved to 3-1, bouncing back from their loss to TNT, while Barangay Ginebra dropped to 1-1.

Scores:

NLEX 118 – Bolick 32, Lalanne 28, Winston 21, Gonzales 14, Bahio 6, Semerad 6, Alas 5, Rodger 3, Racal 3, Ramirez 0, Fajardo 0, Torres 0, Herndon 0.

Barangay Ginebra 113 – Brownlee 46, Abarrientos 14, J.Aguilar 14, Rosario 11, Holt 10, Thompson 7, Gray 5, Cu 3, Go 3, Pinto 0, Torres 0.

Quarters: 18-30, 54-59, 92-87, 118-113.

—JKC, GMA Integrated News