PBA: NLEX escapes Meralco for 2nd straight win

MANILA, Philippines–NLEX picked up its second straight victory after escaping Meralco, 87-83, Saturday in the 2019 PBA Philippine Cup at Ynares Antipolo.

The Road Warriors pulled ahead for good with five minutes to play, 77-76, in the back and forth contest before a power outage interrupted the action for more than 10 minutes.

When the lights went back on, the Bolts managed to tie the game at 83 on a triple by Ranidel de Ocampo with under two minutes to play but NLEX, steady from the stripe, sealed the victory with four straight freethrows.

JP Erram, the Road Warriors’ newest recruit, starred anew with 12 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and five blocks including a crucial rejection of De Ocampo with 10 seconds left.

JR Quinahan paced NLEX with 16 points, going 3-of-3 from beyond the arc, while Kevin Alas chipped in 12 points and six boards.

NLEX improved to 2-3, tied with Meralco and San Miguel and TNT in the middle of the pack.