PBA: NLEX escapes TNT in OT despite losing DeQuan Jones to injury

NLEX weathered a late fightback from TNT, surviving for a 118-111 overtime victory on Tuesday to bounce back in the PBA Season 50 Governors' Cup on Tuesday at the Ynares Center Antipolo.

The Road Warriors escaped with the victory despite losing import DeQuan Jones at the 7:27 mark of the third quarter after he suffered a gruesome leg injury that required him to be stretchered off the court and forced NLEX to go all-Filipino the rest of the way.

But even without their reinforcement, NLEX managed to carve out the seven-point victory thanks to late heroics from Robert Bolick and LJay Gonzales as they bounced back from a previous loss to Terrafirma for a 7-1 card in Group A while TNT fell to 4-4.

Bolick top-scored with 27 markers, eight assists, and five boards while Gonzales dazzled with a career-high 26 points off the bench, also grabbing six rebounds and two assists.

Before his exit, Jones had posted 23 points and four rebounds to help the cause.

"First and foremost, my deepest prayers go out to DJ. More than a basketball player, it's the person. His value to this team goes far beyond what he does on the basketball court," NLEX head coach Jimmy Alapag said.

"It's heartbreaking to see him go down but I'm so proud of our guys. I told them when DJ went down that the best thing that we could do to honor what he means to this team is to come out and fight for the rest of the game."

It seemed bleak for NLEX as defending champion TNT took advantage of the undermanned Road Warriors and mounted a huge fourth-quarter storm behind Jordan Heading, Rey Nambatac, and RR Pogoy, whose three-point play forced a 93-all deadlock midway through the fourth. Before that, TNT had trailed by as much as 14.

Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson then converted a triple before Nambatac knocked down a four-pointer to further widen the gap and give the Tropang 5G to a 100-95 cushion.

Pogoy would complete another three-point play, this time sending TNT to a 107-103 lead in the final 13.4 ticks.

But Bolick hit a four-point shot to pull NLEX within one, 104-103, then buried another despite having little space in front of the TNT bench to force overtime.

Rookie guard Gonzales then took over in the extra period, scoring six of their 11 points as NLEX repeated over TNT to retake control of their group.

The scores:

NLEX 118 - Bolick 27, Gonzales 26, Jones 23, Bahio 11, Winston 11, Semerad 8, Alas 5, Gamboa 3, Racal 2, Valdez 2, Nelle 0, Torres 0.

TNT 111 - Hollis-Jefferson 30, Nambatac 28, Heading 17, Ganuelas-Rosser 15, Pogoy 15, Aurin 5, Ferrer 1, Erram 0, Galinato 0, Jalalon 0, Khobuntin 0, Quitevis 0, Varilla 0.

Quarters: 31-22, 60-53, 85-79, 107-107, 118-111 (OT).

—JMB, GMA News