MANILA: Henry Walker, for the second straight game, lived up to his promise to NLEX coach Boyet Fernandez as far as being the Road Warriors’ go-to-guy is concerned.
On Wednesday night, his offensive brilliance was saved with the way NLEX handled Mahindra defensively in the dying minutes.
Walker scored 17 points in the fourth period and the Road Warriors hung on to post an 82-81 victory over the Enforcers by shutting down Mahindra inside the final 1:41 for their second straight victory in the PBA Governors’ Cup eliminations at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.
NLEX won a close one for the second straight game and rose to 3-3 overall, creeping to a spot in the upper half of the bracket as the single round eliminations entered its second half.
In the meantime, the Enforcers have now found themselves in a streak of the losing kind this time and dropped to 4-2, now tied for third place with the idle Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings.
TNT KaTropa remains undefeated after five games and continues to pace the field, with San Miguel Beer running second with a 4-1 record, its only loss coming at the hands of the Enforcer three weeks ago.
Mahindra opened up with four straight victories for its best-ever conference start and in less than two weeks found itself being knocked out of the lead.
“Full credit to the defense that they (Road Warriors) played in the end,” NLEX coach Boyet Fernandez told reporters, referring to three stops NLEX came up with inside the final 1:41 after the Enforcers, through two James White free throws, had come within 81-82.
The biggest of those stops came inside the last 11 seconds, when Kevin Alas, who in two previous play NLEX offensives committed a big blunder of his own, picked White’s pocket that sealed the win infront of a lean crowd at the Big Dome.
“Kevin (Alas) really stuck to defensive instructions to wait for White to drive before going for a double (team),” Fernandez said. “He timed it perfectly.”
Alas, who was the only other player for Fernandez to finish in twin digits with 13 after Walker’s 39, finished with a night-high four of the Road Warriors’ eight steals. NLEX also had a total of 20 points off 20 Mahindra turnovers.
That steal made up for a lousy error Alas committed with 54.5 seconds to go, when a lazy dribble resulted in a turnover and gave the Enforcers the chance to forge ahead.
The ensuing Mahindra offensive saw the only time that the Enforcers were able to come up with a decent attempt, only for KG Canaleta to bungle what looked like a wide-open 18-foot jumper from the right corner.
“We are just hoping that these two wins would give us the momentum for our (coming) back-to-back games,” Fernandez said, referring to assignments against Meralco and Phoenix Petroleum, sides that boast of equally talented imports in Allen Durham and Eugene Phelps, respectively.
“We just have to be ready every night,” Fernandez said. “We’ve learned our lessons in our last three losses. And we have to play solid, especially in the fourth quarter.”
Canaleta went on to topscore for the Enforcers with 23, while White was held to the minimum with just 21 and 15 rebounds as Walker made life difficult for the Mahindra import by attacking his defense practically all night.
Michael DiGregorio fired 11 points for the Enforcers, who missed the talented LA Revilla for the third straight game because of a nose injury that needed surgery to correct.
On Wednesday night, his offensive brilliance was saved with the way NLEX handled Mahindra defensively in the dying minutes.
Walker scored 17 points in the fourth period and the Road Warriors hung on to post an 82-81 victory over the Enforcers by shutting down Mahindra inside the final 1:41 for their second straight victory in the PBA Governors’ Cup eliminations at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.
NLEX won a close one for the second straight game and rose to 3-3 overall, creeping to a spot in the upper half of the bracket as the single round eliminations entered its second half.
In the meantime, the Enforcers have now found themselves in a streak of the losing kind this time and dropped to 4-2, now tied for third place with the idle Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings.
TNT KaTropa remains undefeated after five games and continues to pace the field, with San Miguel Beer running second with a 4-1 record, its only loss coming at the hands of the Enforcer three weeks ago.
Mahindra opened up with four straight victories for its best-ever conference start and in less than two weeks found itself being knocked out of the lead.
“Full credit to the defense that they (Road Warriors) played in the end,” NLEX coach Boyet Fernandez told reporters, referring to three stops NLEX came up with inside the final 1:41 after the Enforcers, through two James White free throws, had come within 81-82.
The biggest of those stops came inside the last 11 seconds, when Kevin Alas, who in two previous play NLEX offensives committed a big blunder of his own, picked White’s pocket that sealed the win infront of a lean crowd at the Big Dome.
“Kevin (Alas) really stuck to defensive instructions to wait for White to drive before going for a double (team),” Fernandez said. “He timed it perfectly.”
Alas, who was the only other player for Fernandez to finish in twin digits with 13 after Walker’s 39, finished with a night-high four of the Road Warriors’ eight steals. NLEX also had a total of 20 points off 20 Mahindra turnovers.
That steal made up for a lousy error Alas committed with 54.5 seconds to go, when a lazy dribble resulted in a turnover and gave the Enforcers the chance to forge ahead.
The ensuing Mahindra offensive saw the only time that the Enforcers were able to come up with a decent attempt, only for KG Canaleta to bungle what looked like a wide-open 18-foot jumper from the right corner.
“We are just hoping that these two wins would give us the momentum for our (coming) back-to-back games,” Fernandez said, referring to assignments against Meralco and Phoenix Petroleum, sides that boast of equally talented imports in Allen Durham and Eugene Phelps, respectively.
“We just have to be ready every night,” Fernandez said. “We’ve learned our lessons in our last three losses. And we have to play solid, especially in the fourth quarter.”
Canaleta went on to topscore for the Enforcers with 23, while White was held to the minimum with just 21 and 15 rebounds as Walker made life difficult for the Mahindra import by attacking his defense practically all night.
Michael DiGregorio fired 11 points for the Enforcers, who missed the talented LA Revilla for the third straight game because of a nose injury that needed surgery to correct.
