Bolick’s Late Heroics Lift NLEX Past Titan Ultra, 92–83
Robert Bolick delivered when it mattered most, powering the NLEX Road Warriors to a hard-fought 92–83 win over the Titan Ultra Giant Risers on Sunday at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.
The victory marked NLEX’s second straight triumph and pushed them into a tie with Rain or Shine at the top of the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup standings at 6–2 heading into the FIBA break.
Bolick was nothing short of spectacular, finishing with 36 points and 10 assists—15 of those points coming in the fourth quarter alone. With the game knotted at 83-all, the NLEX star buried a clutch three-pointer with 1:21 left that gave the Road Warriors the lead for good. Moments later, he delivered a precise forward pass to Dominick Fajardo for a fastbreak layup that stretched the advantage to five with 43.7 seconds remaining.
Those game-deciding plays capped NLEX’s 9–0 finishing run, slamming the door on a Titan Ultra side that had battled neck-and-neck until the final minute.
JB Bahio also made a significant impact with 20 points and 12 rebounds, while the Road Warriors’ defensive pressure produced 12 steals and capitalized on 20 Titan Ultra turnovers that led to 19 points.
(Video from the YouTube Channel of One Sports)
Despite the loss, Titan Ultra had bright spots—most notably Calvin Abueva, who turned in a massive stat line of 27 points, 15 rebounds, and four blocks, though he also committed eight turnovers.
Joshua Munzon added 19 points and tied the game at 83 with a strong layup at the 1:17 mark, but that would be the Giant Risers’ last meaningful basket. Von Pessumal chipped in 14 points, including two four-pointers.
The stats told a tale of contrasting strengths: Titan Ultra dominated the boards (53–48) and blocked seven shots to NLEX’s two, but NLEX showed superior ball movement with a 21–18 assist edge and more efficient execution down the stretch. While Titan Ultra shot just 32.4% from the field, NLEX managed 37%, enough to secure the win in a grind-it-out affair.
The result dropped Titan Ultra to 2–6, now on a two-game slide and in need of answers as they prepare to face Terrafirma on December 6 in Antipolo—a matchup featuring two struggling squads.
NLEX, meanwhile, will regroup during the FIBA window before returning to action against the 5–2 Magnolia Hotshots on December 7 at Ynares Center II in Montalban, aiming to strengthen its claim at the top of the leaderboard.
The Scores:
NLEX 92 – Bolick 34, Bahio 20, Torres 7, Herndon 6, Policarpio 5, Fajardo 5, Valdez 4, Mocon 3, Alas 2, Nieto 2, Capulong 2, Ramirez 0, Rodger 0
Titan Ultra 83 – Abueva 27, Munzon 19, Pessumal 14, Ular 7, Dionisio 6, Balanza 4, Yu 3, Melecio 1, Cuntapay 0, Monje 0, Ambohot 0.
Quarter Scores: 23-19, 40-41, 65-65, 92-83.
