Glorious take-off for NLEX, Phoenix

The NLEX Road Warriors, showing signs of life in their second tournament under coach Yeng Guiao, picked up from where they left off to match the sizzling start of the Phoenix Fuel Masters in the PBA’s season-ending Governors’ Cup last week.

After closing their Commissioner’s Cup campaign with two wins after nine straight losses to match their woeful overall record in the Philippine Cup, the Road Warriors took off this time with impressive victories over the Alaska Aces, 112-104, and the Kia Picanto five (formerly Mahindra), 100-93.

Phoenix, again boasting of the tireless and hot-scoring import Eugene Phelps, also went

2-0 at the expense of Kia (118-105) and Alaska with the Fuel Masters hacking out a 95-93 decision over the Aces Saturday on a left-handed drive by Phelps just before the final buzzer.

The loss to Phoenix was the 10th straight for the Aces in a woeful turnaround since a 4-0 start in the Commissioner’s Cup, where they failed to survive the elimination round by losing in a playoff to the GlobalPort Batang Pier. The early vacation was the first in a long time in the league for the Aces.

Aaron Fuller, the NLEX import who played for Iowa and Southern California in the US NCAA and then brought his act to Portugal, New Zealand and Mexico, shot 30 points against Alaska and 24 against Kia.

Phelps scattered 33 against Kia and 29 against Alaska. In a one-game stand for Phoenix in the Commissioner’s Cup on the way to another foreign stint, he exploded for 53 points on top of 21 rebounds as the Fuel Masters nipped the Blackwater Elite, 118-116, in double overtime last March 18.

The veteran LaDontae Henton of Alaska and Markeith Cummins of Kia, who once played for GlobalPort, acquitted themselves well despite the two early losses of their teams, but the Batang Pier reinforcement, Jabril Trawick, turned out to be a dud.

Trawick fouled out in the fourth quarter after scoring only three points although Rain or Shine needed two free throws by Raymond Almazan with five seconds left to nip GlobalPort, 98-96. Sources later said Trawick will be replaced by Murphy Holloway in GlobalPort’s game against Phoenix this Wednesday.

As expected, Meralco, bidding to improve on its runner-up finish behind Barangay Ginebra last year, blasted Blackwater, 107-78, with Allen Durham, the reigning Best Import awardee, contributing 18 points for the determined Bolts.

Meralco and Ginebra were playing at presstime last night. San Miguel Beer, within a title of a PBA Grand Slam, and the TNT KaTropa get going against separate foes this Saturday.