CHICAGO - After Sunday night's 109-91 Game Three rout at the clutches of TNT, the NLEX Road Warriors are down 2-1 in their best-of-five quarterfinals series.
The only way out of this ditch is beat the Tropang Giga two in a row, beginning this Tuesday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
It's mission impossible, but nonetheless doable, considering NLEX has an import teeming with NBA glitter from his days with the Orlando Magic in the 2012-13 season.
But on nights like Sunday when the ferocious TNT defense held Jones to a benign 16 points after he dropped 38 in Game Two, the locals needed to step up, especially Robert Bolick.
READ: Red hot TNT squashes NLEX to move a win away from semis
Unfortunately for the Road Warriors, Bolick hasn't been playing like the franchise player that he is, as well as the star shooter the Japan B.League tried to hook with a titanic contract in 2023.
A STAR IS NOT SHINING.
Through three postseason games thus far, Bolick is averaging 12.6 points and 7.3 assists per game. Those are good numbers, but not the kind you'd expect from a max player.
The 6-foot-1 sniper is sinking only 37 percent of his field goals (10-of-27). He is 1-of-6 from 4 and 0-for-4 from 3.
"They defended him well," NLEX coach Jong Uichico told me via text message after the Game Three loss where Bolick logged 12 points on 3-of-8 shooting.
As for his star's struggles, Uichico quipped, "if not for Bolick, we wouldn't be in the QF."
Without him, they wouldn't be in the next round, either.
PLAYING LIKE THE NO. 1 SEED.
TNT, on the other hand, is one game away from the semifinals.
It was just another day in the office for Rondae Hollis-Jefferson who carved NLEX for 27 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists, one steal, and a block.
"We played more aggressively on offense. Took the shots their defense was giving and did not overthink things," TNT assistant coach John Reyes said of the Tropa's tact after losing Game Two, 93-90.
This time, they hit 36-of-75 shots, including a high 45.5 percent from three-point distance (15-of-33).
Calvin Oftana finished with 18 points and five boards. Rey Nambatac had 17 points and four assists, while Glenn Khobuntin, Kelly Williams, and Roger Pogoy combined for 36 points.
TNT was clearly the better team tonight. Too good, too many weapons.
The series is far from over, though, and I still give NLEX a puncher's chance to turn the tables.
But while I do believe in rebirth and resurrection, the bad news for the Road Warriors is that Easter is still a long way from late September.
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