YET again, Robert Bolick came up big in the clutch for NLEX in its first game in the PBA 50th Season Commissioner’s Cup.
Bolick fired 13 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter to rescue the Road Warriors and rally past Blackwater, 84-81, after trailing by as many as 16 points.
READ: Bolick, Lalanne help NLEX escape with a close win over Blackwater
NLEX was down, 33-17, in the second quarter, as its lead guard scored only six points in the first half.
Bolick, though, started to get his flow in the final frame to help the Road Warriors overcome the early deficit.
With his team’s lead then trimmed to two in the endgame, Bolick took over, nailing a three-pointer with 37.8 seconds remaining to grab an 84-79 lead.
NLEX coach Jong Uichico said Bolick’s performance is yet another proof that he is a natural scorer who doesn’t hesitate to take the crucial shots when it matters most.
“Alam naman ni Berto na kung nitty-gritty, wala nang tanong-tanong doon. It’s his game. That’s what he was born to be. He was born to take those shots,” he said.
"Not everybody is willing to take the shot. You can lose, you can win. But si Berto has that DNA to take that shot and take that burden. Kaya siya si Berto.
“Nasa tiyan pa lang ng nanay niya, tumitira na siya nang ganun.”
Big Shot Bolick
At the end of the day, Uichico said he doesn’t see any problem with Bolick limited in scoring in the first half.
“Alam naman ni Berto kung kailan siya kailangan. Hindi naman pwedeng one minute pa lang, Berto na. Alam naman niya kung kailan siya kailangang mag-double effort in terms of scoring,” he said.
For his part, Bolick explained why he will never be afraid to take the big shots.
“Eto ‘yung mga games na gusto mo as a player. Sinasabi nga ni coach, basketball konti lang sa buhay mo. Tatanda ka rin, mami-miss mo ‘yung mga ganitong sitwasyon. Kung may ganito, take ko na agad ‘yung opportunity,” he said.
“Kung may libre naman, why not, trust ko lahat ng teammates ko. Kita ko kung paano sila nagtrabaho buong conference. Kung sino ‘yung open, ibibigay namin.”
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