MANILA, Philippines — LJay Gonzales and Tony Semerad came through with clutch basketball in overtime as NLEX survived defending champion TNT’s massive comeback, 118-111 in their PBA Season 50 Governors’ Cup match on Tuesday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.
Gonzales and Semerad combined to score NLEX’s 11 points in the extra period, while the Road Warriors held the Tropang 5G to just four points en route to booking their seventh win in eight starts.
It was a strong bounce-back win for NLEX, which saw its six-game winning streak under new coach Jimmy Alapag come to a halt after bowing to Terrafirma, 114-99 over the weekend.
NLEX’s win came with a huge casualty as import Dequan Jones appeared to have fractured his right ankle following a collision with TNT big man Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser just as the American went on a spin move to the basket.
The harrowing incident happened at the 7:27 mark of the third period and NLEX ahead, 69-59.
Jones could eventually be placed in a stretcher and brought to the hospital.
The NLEX import had 23 points and four rebounds in 24 minutes of play before leaving the game for good.
Alapag and the entire NLEX team huddled at mid-court, visibly shaken by the gruesome scene, but managed to say a prayer for their fallen import, before play resumed.
Robert Bolick led NLEX with 27 points, five rebounds and eight assists, Gonzales added 26, while Schonny Winston and JB Bahio 11 each.
Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson led TNT with 30 points and 13 rebounds, Rey Nambatac 28 while Jordan Heading 17.
Roger Pogoy and Ganuelas-Rosser finished with 15 points each for TNT, which fell to an even 4-4 record, in a tie for joint third with Converge. RICHARD DY
