Road Warriors rally around injured Jones, stun Tropang 5G in OT

Tiger Scores365

The mood inside the NLEX camp changed in an instant when DeQuan Jones went down.

But instead of folding, the Road Warriors found another gear.

NLEX overcame the emotional blow of losing Jones to a fractured leg and rallied past TNT, 118-111, in overtime Tuesday night at the Ynares Center to reclaim the top spot in Group A of the PBA Season 50 Governors’ Cup.

Jones was having another productive night before suffering the injury with 7:27 left in the third quarter. He had already scored 23 points when the incident forced him out of the game.

TNT capitalized on the setback and seized control, but NLEX refused to let the game slip away.

Robert Bolick delivered a huge four-pointer late in regulation to force overtime, setting the stage for LJ Gonzales to take over.

The rookie guard from Far Eastern University scored 14 points across the fourth quarter and overtime, including six in the extra period, while Tony Semerad also came through when the Road Warriors needed him most.

With the game tied at 109 after Roger Pogoy's basket with 3:31 left in overtime, Bolick found Semerad open in the corner for a three-pointer that put NLEX ahead, 112-109.

The Road Warriors then locked down defensively and closed the game on a 7-2 run.

NLEX improved to 7-1 and, according to league statistics chief Fidel Mangonon III, became the first team to secure a playoff berth.

Bolick finished with 27 points, five rebounds, and eight assists, while Gonzales posted a career-high 26 points.

"LJ was huge down the stretch," NLEX coach Jimmy Alapag said. "Just making big play after big play and I think LJ's putting the PBA on notice that we're not just a team with two guards, but we also have another star in the making coming up."

For Alapag, however, the victory was overshadowed by concern for Jones.

"My deepest prayers go out to DJ," he said. "More than the basketball player, it's the person. Him and I just had lunch yesterday. His value to this team goes far beyond what he does on the basketball court."

"It's heartbreaking to see him go down but I'm so proud of my guys," Alapag added. "I told them when DJ went down, that the best thing we can do to honor what he means to this team is to come out and fight for the rest of the game."

Deschon Winston and JB Bahio contributed 11 points each for NLEX.

The Road Warriors may now have to navigate their next game without an import. They face Converge on Friday at the SMART Araneta Coliseum, giving the team little time to find a replacement if Jones is ruled out.

"I'll get our staff together, kasama 'yung management and try to figure out what to do, kasi 'yung next game namin is Friday so medyo bitin yung time," Alapag said. "But we'll do the best we can."

"But right now, all of our thoughts and prayers are with DJ. Big-time loss for our team but we'll try to find somebody who can fill that void," he added.

TNT received another huge effort from Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson, who finished with 30 points and 13 rebounds, while Rey Nambatac added 28 points and five boards.

Jordan Heading had 17 points and seven assists, with Pogoy and Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser scoring 15 apiece.

The loss denied TNT a chance to sweep the season series against NLEX after winning their previous meeting.

For the Road Warriors, the victory was more than just a bounce-back win from their loss to Terrafirma. It was a display of resilience after losing one of their most important players—and a reminder that NLEX still has plenty of fight left at the top of Group A.