NLEX Road Warriors opened the PBA Governors’ Cup quarterfinals with a 97-92 win over Phoenix at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City, and Robert Bolick treated the result as a first step away from the team’s old reputation.
The Road Warriors entered the playoffs as the top team in Group A. Their opponent, Phoenix, placed fourth in Group B. The win gave NLEX a useful start in a best-of-five series, but Bolick’s post-game message was about something larger than one result.
NLEX Road Warriors answer the Introvoys label
NLEX has carried a reputation in recent playoff runs for starting well and falling short when the games matter most. Bolick called the “Introvoys” tag a challenge to the team.
“I told the team this is a challenge: if it is true what people say, that we are ‘Introvoys,’ we are dead,” Bolick said. “But if we prove otherwise, we will earn the fans’ respect.
“So if we want to earn the respect of PBA fans, or respect for us at NLEX, we have to show we deserve to be here at No. 1.”
That quote captures the stakes. NLEX can point to its Group A finish, but playoff results shape how fans and opponents judge the program. A single quarterfinal win does not settle that debate, though it gives the Road Warriors a concrete answer to start the series.
Bolick’s line against Phoenix
Bolick finished with 20 points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals. The numbers were not overwhelming, but they came in a game NLEX had to close after Phoenix’s comeback.
The Road Warriors’ win was not a clean runaway. Phoenix cut into the lead and made the finish uncomfortable, which is why Bolick’s production and the team’s ability to hold on mattered. The 97-92 final score reflects that tighter finish.
Player of the Week and the San Miguel setback
The PBA Press Corps named Bolick Player of the Week for October 21-25, his third weekly honor of the season. He was selected over San Miguel Beer’s June Mar Fajardo, Barangay Ginebra’s Troy Rosario and TNT’s Calvin Oftana.
The award came in a week that began with a painful loss. Bolick committed a basket interference in the final seconds of NLEX’s 135-133 defeat to San Miguel at the close of the group stage, a game NLEX had led by 20 in the fourth quarter.
That loss fits the old narrative almost too neatly. Yet NLEX still finished on top of Group A, which is why the Phoenix win carried weight. The quarterfinal opener gave NLEX a playoff result to match its group-stage finish.
What the Group A top seed means
The PBA’s group format set up NLEX’s matchup with Phoenix: first in Group A against fourth in Group B. The best-of-five format gives both teams time to answer one another, but it also exposes any repeat of old habits.
NLEX’s top seed did not produce a comfortable opener. Phoenix stayed close enough to threaten, and NLEX had to protect its lead late. That is the context that makes the 97-92 result more than a routine first win.
For Bolick, the early Best Player of the Conference frontrunner, the series is also a chance to strengthen an individual case with team results. The Press Corps honor already placed him ahead of Fajardo, Rosario and Oftana for the week.
What to watch in the best-of-five series
The central question is whether NLEX can repeat the closing effort against Phoenix. The Road Warriors have shown they can build leads; the test is protecting them when the pace slows and possessions matter more.
Phoenix’s comeback in the opener suggests the series may stay tight. NLEX’s response will reveal whether the “Introvoys” label is losing its grip or simply waiting for another chapter.
Bolick’s play will remain the focus. His scoring, passing and defense in the opener gave NLEX enough to survive. A stronger collective finish would do more for the team’s reputation than another individual weekly award.
The original report on Bolick’s award and NLEX’s quarterfinal win appears on philstar.com.
