By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
Robert Bolick was a man on a mission during the NLEX Road Warriors’ lopsided 112-93 victory over the Converge FiberXers, in the ongoing PBA Philippine Cup on March 9, 2024, at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
After a terrific offensive showcase, Bolick just set a new career-high in points after exploding for 46 big points derived from an efficient 17/26 shooting from the field.
Bolick sent five bombs from downtown and built most of his points from his aggressive drives and in the perimeter, only missing two of his 14 total attempts from the two-point territory.
After a slow start when the FiberXers were still in the driver’s seat after the opening frame, Bolick began to pick up his offensive rhythm in the second quarter.
Bolick immediately helped the Road Warriors regain the lead after scoring seven consecutive points, two straight drives to the basket capped off by a long three-pointer from the top of the ket.
Converge head coach Aldin Ayo then quickly called for a timeout to halt Bolick’s offensive momentum but it had no effect as the spitfire guard continued to pile up the points.
It was in the third quarter where Bolick schooled the Converge defense with his filthy handles and crafty ways of scoring the leather.
Left with no options, the FiberXers tried to double team Bolick during the pick-and-roll coverage but it still failed to slow him down as he sagged off the screen to score an easy step-back jump shot.
Despite a late surge from Converge in the fourth quarter, Bolick and the Road Warriors built enough cushion to improve their win-loss record to 3-1.
Negrense small forward Jhan Nermal also had an impressive game for the Road Warriors after backstopping Bolick with 13 points.
Meanwhile, Baser Amer, the newest addition to NLEX’s talented pool of backcourt players, contributed 10 points built from a 4/6 shooting from the field.
