PBA D-League: NLEX, Big Chill finals duel starts

MANILA, Philippines — Keeping last year’s heartbreaker in mind, NLEX vies to stay focused when it tackles Big Chill at the start of the PBA D-League Aspirants Cup championship series Sunday.

Coach Boyet Fernandez said his Road Warriors are bent on reclaiming the crown against the Superchargers, who also aim to “triple their effort” in Game 1 of the best-of-three finals at 1 p.m. at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

“This conference is a motivation for us,” Fernandez said of his Road Warriors, the four-time champions who surprisingly got swept by Blackwater Sports in last year’s finals.

“This is also a test for the team to see if we have learned something from that defeat.”

The top-seeded Road Warriors stand as favorites anew after topping the eliminations and sweeping Hog’s Breath in the semifinals.

“It’s going to be a tough mountain to climb, but nothing is impossible,” said Big Chill coach Robert Sison.

Garvo Lanete, the leading MVP candidate, will lead NLEX together with Ola Adeogun, Matt Ganuelas, Kevin Alas and Jake Pascual.