With the enemy failing to convert on four close range tries inside the last 10 seconds on Friday night, Yeng Guiao marked the start of his care of NLEX on a bright note.
The NLEX Road Warriors, Guiao’s seventh team in a glorious coaching career, came out on top of a nail-biter, 99-97 over Alaska in overtime, helped in part by four sorry misses by the Aces in the waning seconds of a hotly-contested PBA Philippine Cup contest at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.
Bradwyn Guinto and Carlo Lastimosa, acquired in the off-season from Mahindra and Blackwater, respectively, shone bright in the stretch with timely buckets as the Road Warriors gutted out the win that had Guiao starting his NLEX career on a winning note.
“I have been really excited to play this game as a team,” Guiao said as he got the NLEX veterans to chip in their usual shares while drawing the best from new recruits Guinto and Lastimosa.
“We need games like this to build character,” the six-time champion coach went on. “We need to face adversities like this to build the team’s character.”
It was a sorry loss for the Aces, indeed as they failed to forge a second extension even with Dondon Hontiveros having two and RJ Jazul and little-known JP Mendoza missing a shot each from almost point blank range as time expired.
Alaska pushed the Road Warriors to the limit despite playing without franchise player Calvin Abueva and starting center Sonny Thoss. The Aces would also lose rookie Brian Cruz and Vic Manuel in the fourth period because of fouls.
Guinto had 17 points and 10 rebounds, while Lastimosa finished with 15, including four of the last five NLEX points as he made up for a sorry miss from three-point range in regulation which could have won it all for the Road Warriors.
The 6-foot-5 Guinto, who had a respectable first two years with the Enforcers, played so well that Guiao didn’t have the need to play a slightly-injured Asi Taulava much.
Sean Anthony fired 21 points and plucked down 14 boards, and veteran point guard Jonas Villanueva held the Road Warriors together and finished with 16.
“There are things that you only see in games and don’t see in practices,” Guiao said. “Decision making in the endgame is one of them.”
Guiao, though, reserved a lot of praise for Guinto.
“We did not make a mistake in recruiting him,” said Guiao. “He proved his worth. The upside is really unlimited at this time.”
Guiao, though, acknowledged that the absence of Abueva played a huge role in their win, especially in the final Alaska offensive.
“We were lucky they missed those four shots,” Guiao, whose last championship came in the Commissioner’s Cup last season with the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, said of the last Alaska play. “Calvin would have been big in a situation like that.”
The loss also ruined the fine debut of Cruz, shooting 20 points and grabbing 14 rebounds in the most impressive debut by any rookie thus far. Together with Manuel, Cruz helped the Aces take command early, leading by as large as 62-50.
Meanwhile, GlobalPort marked the start of the tenure of a new coach in Franz Pumaren by scoring the most lopsided win in the young tournament, 97-75, over Mahindra.
Terrence Romeo led the Batang Pier with 29 points and the Batang Pier defense held down the Floodbusters to nine points in the opening frame to set the tone of the rout.
Stanley Pringle fired 16 points and JR Quinahan chipped in with 10 in his first game with his new team.
Mahindra, which shipped out its core during the off-season, including Guinto, in several questionable trades, got 17 points from Alex Mallari and 14 from Jason Deutchman.
NLEX edges past Alaska in thriller
NLEX edges past Alaska in thriller
