MANILA – NLEX Road Warriors got fired up with the ejection of head coach Yeng Guiao to score a lopsided 91-70 victory over Alaska Aces in the 2019 Honda PBA Philippine Cup last night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
JR Quinahan and Pedrito Galanza led the way with 14 points each, while Jansen Rios added 10 markers for the Road Warriors, which snapped its two-game slide to improve to 3-5 win-loss slate.
Holding to a slim 36-31 lead, the Road Warriors drew strength from the ejection of Guiao in the second period with Quinahan and Rios anchoring the offense for a 50-36 halftime lead.
The Aces attempted to make a run early in the third but the Road Warriors got outside hits from Quinahan and Philip Paniamogan as the lead suddenly ballooned to 74-57 heading into the fourth.
NLEX went on with its torrid shooting in the final quarter as outside shots from Quinahan and Paniamogan and inside hits from Galanza enable them to establish its largest lead at 83-61 on a three-point play by Bacolodnon Raul Soyud.
Jeron Teng led the way with 23 points, while Davon Potts submitted career-high 13 markers for the Aces, which suffered its second consecutive defeat to slid down to 3-4 card.
In the first game, Magnolia Hotshots cruised to its second consecutive victory with a wire-to-wire 109-83 domination over Columbian Dyip to keep its playoffs aspirations alive.
The Hotshots waxed hot early on the field behind Ian Sangalang and Andy Mark Barroca for a 29-12 edge but the Dyip kept it close as it was able to come to within 52-56 midway in the third.
The Hotshots regained its footing on hits from Rome Dela Rosa and Barroca make a 75-57 count before widening it to its largest at 109-81 on conversions from Paul Lee and Justin Melton.
Sangalang led the way with 16 points, while Barroca and Dela Rosa added 14 and 12 markers, respectively, for the Hotshots (3-4). Rashawn McCarthy finished with 19 points for the Dyip (4-6)./PN
