NLEX burns Big Chill, completes perfect tournament for 3rd D-League title

PBA D-League/Nuki Sabio

13-0.

The NLEX Road Warriors did not lose a single game all tournament long, completing their Foundation Cup run with an 82-62 beatdown of Big Chill in Game Two of their finals series.

The franchise has now won each of the PBA D-League’s first three tournaments.

“This is unbelievable. I never really thought we could do this,” said NLEX coach Boyet Fernandez after the match, who gave all the credit to his wards.

“Modesty aside, the players deserve it. They sacrificed a lot to achieved our goal. And of course, big part of our success goes to management. Without their support this wouldn’t be possible.”

Emman Monfort, the shortest player on the Road Warriors roster, stood tallest in the ultimate game, top-scoring for the team with 13 points and adding seven assists and two steals.

“He may be small but he does the big things for the team,” said Fernandez of the former Ateneo quarterback. “He made the big plays and the big baskets when we need it. He’s the leader of this team and he’s showing it by example.”

NLEX broke the game wide open in the second quarter, using a 13-4 run to take a 36-30 halftime lead. The Road Warriors cruised in the second half, as the Superchargers were unable to threaten the defending champions.

Four other players — Ian Sanggalang (11 points), Kirk Long (10), Garvo Lanete (10), and Calvin Abueva (10) — scored in double figures for the Road Warriors.

Raffy Reyes finished with 19 points for Big Chill, while Keith Jensen and Mac Montilla scored 15 and 10 points apiece. But Superchargers main man Alex Mallari, who posted 28 points in the series opener, had just six points, shooting just nine times from the field.

The scores:

NLEX 82 – Monfort 13, Sanggalang 11, Long 10, Lanete 10, Abueva 10, Hodge 8, Garcia 7, Pascual 6, Co 4, Marcelo 3, Hermida 0, Suguitan 0, Dehesa 0, Ellis 0.

Big Chill 62 – Reyes 19, Jensen 15, Montilla 10, Mallari 6, Ponferada 4, Viernes 2, Collado 2, Villahermosa 2, Tan 2, Cortes 0.

Quarters: 18-20; 36-30; 55-45; 82-62

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