Taulava’s 4th quarter explosion gets NLEX by GlobalPort

MANILA, Philippines  – Asi Taulava delivered a timeless performance in the clutch to give the NLEX Road Warriors their first win of the 2014-2015 PBA Philippine Cup.

NLEX fought through an impressive performance from Terrence Romeo and leaned on the offensive execution of their star big man Taulava late in the game beating GlobalPort Batang Pier, 101-96, on Tuesday, October 21, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Taulava scored 12 of his total 21 in the fourth quarter and converted huge shots in the paint down the stretch.

The Road Warriors also got significant contribution from dynamic wingman Mac Cardona who ended the game with 20 points.

Romeo finished with 33 points – one shy of his career-high. He also tallied assists, and 2 rebounds, putting up one of the most impressive performances of his young pro career.

2014 PBA Draft top overall pick Stanley Pringle also had a noteworthy performance, amazing the crowd with his athletic prowess and ball-handing ability while registering 14 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists.

After trailing for most of the game, NLEX finally tied the count at 66 in the third quarter following a three-pointer by John Raymundo.

However, the Road Warriors couldn’t find an answer for Romeo, who hit contested jumper after another to give his squad a 76-70 lead entering the fourth period.

After the Batang Pier went ahead 89-82, NLEX turned to a zone defense to neutralize the individual talents of Romeo, Pringle, and Alex Cabagnot, who also finished in double digits with 23 points for the evening.

On offense, NLEX started dishing the ball to Taulava, who dominated the defense of Mark Isip and Noy Baclao for easy layups and 3-point play opportunities.

When they doubled ‘The Ageless Rock’, Taulava managed to find an open KG Canaleta twice, with the gunslinger making two game-changing three-pointers in the final minutes.

The NLEX big man, 41, also grabbed down 8 rebounds and dished 5 assists.

NLEX took a 94-92 lead with under 3 minutes to go, and their lead extended to 5 thanks to Canaleta not long after.

The Batang Pier then failed to convert much on offense the rest of the way, with a missed triple by Cabagnot from the top of the key sealing the loss in the dying seconds.

Outside of Romeo, Pringle, and Cabagnot, who accounted for 70 of their team’s 96 points, Yancy De Ocampo and Ronjay Buenafe helped out in the scoring department for the Batang Pier, combining for 12 markers.

NLEX also received 11 markers from Enrico Villanueva and 16 from stretch forward Aldrech Ramos.

As a team, the Road Warriors shot 47% from the field and made 9 three-pointers. NLEX also took 49 free throw attempts, making 34, while GlobalPort attempted only 15 charities.

Scores:

NLEX (101): Taulava 21, Cardona 20, Ramos 16, Villanueva 11, Borboran 9, Canaleta 8, Villanueva 8, Raymundo 5, Camson 2, Villarias 1, Poligrates 0, Apinan 0, Baloria 0

GlobalPort (96): Romeo 33, Cabagnot 23, Pringle 14, Buenafe 6, Nabong 6, De Ocampo 6, Baclao 4, Isip 2, Jensen 2, Taha 0, Duncil 0, Ponferada 0, Cabrera 0

Quarter Scores: 25-29, 47-53, 70-76, 101-96

Relive the game in these photos by Nuki Sabio/PBA Images.

– Rappler.com