Garvo Lanete. PBA D-LEAGUE IMAGE FILE PHOTO/Nuki Sabio
MANILA , Philippines — NLEX overcame a slow start and needed to ride on Garvo Lanete in the fourth quarter to fend off Wangs Basketball, 96-80, in the 2014 PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup Tuesday at the JCSGO gym in Cubao.
Lanete carried the Road Warriors, who upped their mark to 5-1, in the final frame with 13 of his 24 points coming in that period alone.
“Scary win. Credit to Wangs they were ready for us,” said NLEX head coach Boyet Fernandez, whose team trailed by as much as 11 points in the second quarter before making the necessary adjustments in the second half.
The former San Beda standout Lanete completed a three-point play that put NLEX up by 10, 79-69, with 5:40 left before sinking a 3-pointer to stretch the Road Warriors’ advantage to 14, 87-73, with 3:56 to go.
The Couriers still found themselves in the thick of things early in the final frame until Michael Juico had to sit for three minutes at the 7:30 mark after committing a flagrant foul 1 as he and Kirk Long got into it. Long also picked up a flagrant foul.
With Juico, who had a game-high 27 points, on the bench, NLEX went on a 19-7 run capped by a Lanete basket as its lead ballooned to 17, 93-76, with 1:40 remaining.
Stocky playmaker Abel Galliguez and Ervic Vijandre added 13 points apiece for Wangs, which fell to 4-7.
The Road Warriors played minus Nigerian center Ola Adeogun, who served his one-game suspension after getting ejected during their win over Big Chill.
“The boys didn’t want to lose. I scolded them at the half. If we play the same way we played today, we’ll have trouble against Jumbo,” said Fernandez, whose squad clashes with fellow contender Jumbo Plastic next.