MANILA, Philippines – Wins have been hard to come by for NLEX head coach Frankie Lim.

But a victory against a powerhouse team like Barangay Ginebra has given Lim a reason to smile as the Road Warriors remained in the playoff race following a 120-117 overtime upset of the Gin Kings on Friday, November 25.

Enduring a five-game losing streak, Lim notched his second win with NLEX, which improved to 4-7, against no less than his former squad Ginebra.

“I get motivated when I play against strong teams,” Lim, whose last PBA coaching stint came with the Gin Kings in 2015 before he joined the Road Warriors this year, said in a mix of Filipino and English.

“Ginebra is extremely strong. I was joking around, I said that Ginebra can pass off as a Gilas team because of how strong it is. I also challenged my players that it is nice to beat strong teams.”

Coming off a stunning loss to erstwhile winless Terrafirma exactly a week ago, Lim knew he needed to up the ante to motivate his wards.

Lim offered to give his players a lengthy holiday break from December 24 to January 1 if they managed to defeat Ginebra.

A loss, though, meant that NLEX will train for almost the entire month of December.

The Road Warriors delivered behind import Earl Clark and Don Trollano as they played spoiler in the Gin Kings’ bid to secure a twice-to-beat bonus in the quarterfinals.

Seeing its five-game winning streak snapped, Ginebra no longer has control over its chances of clinching the prized playoff incentive.

“I think that was extra motivation. I told them before the game, my offer still stands. You get this win, you get more than a week of vacation to stay with your family during the Christmas season,” Lim said.

Suddenly back in the playoff hunt, Lim vowed to pull out all the stops as NLEX battles Meralco in its final elimination-round game on November 30 at the PhilSports Arena.

“We will prepare for Meralco and not put this victory to waste by losing to Meralco. We want to win. That game is important to us as much as it is important to Meralco. We just prepare.” – Rappler.com