Returning with a bang: Bolick is Player of Week

PBA Images

Hopes of NorthPort catching the last playoffs bus in the PBA Governors’ Cup gained a timely lift following another pair of victories behind the giant efforts of the returning Robert Bolick.

Fresh from his stint with Gilas Pilipinas in the Manila qualifiers of the 2023 Fiba (International Basketball Association) World Cup, the slick-shooting guard came back with a bang as the Batang Pier downed Blackwater and Terrafirma in succession to stretch their winning streak to five games and shore up a late postseason drive.

The gunner out of San Beda did it all behind an impressive near triple-double average of 25.5 points, 11.5 assists and nine rebounds in guiding NorthPort inside the Top 8 with an even 5-5 card entering the homestretch of the eliminations.

The performance earned Bolick the Cignal Play-PBA Press Corps Player of the Week citation for the period March 2 to March 6.

Bolick bested the likes of June Mar Fajardo of San Miguel Beer, and the NLEX pair of Kris Rosales and Kevin Alas for the weekly honor being handed out by the men and women covering the PBA beat.

“I really needed to make up for some lost time with the team, especially since they were coming off wins against heavyweight clubs,” said Bolick, who missed NorthPort’s massive wins against league-leader Magnolia and fellow playoff hopeful Phoenix Super LPG due to his duty with the national team the past week.

Bolick certainly made up for his brief absence, exploding for 30 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and three steals in the Batang Pier’s 116-103 win over Blackwater last Wednesday.