NLEX eases out Big Chill, gains final

MANILA, Philippines - NLEX finished off Big Chill with an 80-71 victory and advanced to its fifth straight finals but Boracay Rum held off Blackwater Sports, 69-65, yesterday to force a sudden death for the other championship berth in the PBA D-League Foundation Cup at the Blue Eagle gym in Ateneo.

The Road Warriors scrambled to control the first half but dished out a solid third quarter performance to put away the Superchargers’ challenge and gain a crack for a fifth straight championship.

“I thought we played good defense. We made stops and scored in transition. That was the key in this game,” said NLEX coach Boyet Fernandez, whose wards never dropped a game since losing their first two matches in the elims.

NLEX beat Big Chill, 66-59, in Game One of their best-of-three series.

Earlier, the Waves fought off elimination and repulsed the Elite to force a deciding Game Three Tuesday for the other finals seat.

Kirk Long scored 12 points and Kevin Alas had 10 markers to lead the Road Warriors, who took an 18-14 lead in the first quarter and hung on to a 34-29 margin at the half. 

Big Chill pulled within 40-43 on a layup by Janus Lozada with 3:27 left in the third but NLEX scored the next 10 points to stretch the lead to 13.

The defending champions were never challenged from there.

Terrence Romeo had 25 points while Lozada and Jeckster Apinan added 13 markers apiece.