MANILA, Philippines – Strangely, the ball club he had managed as team manager suffered a loss at the hands of the NLEX Road Warriors, giving coach Frankie Lim his first victory with the team.

In the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig, the Road Warriors punched an opening and thrashed their way to a 110 to 101 victory over the TNT Tropang Giga.

Earl Clark scored a game-high 45 points and grabbed 16 rebounds, as the Road Warriors won their third straight game to improve to 3 to 2. Kevin Alas, Don Trollano, and Matt Nieto provided strong support.

Clark expressed confidence in his team’s ability to compete against any opponent in the league while acknowledging that they were still learning their new system.

It’s the coach’s first win, and it feels good, said Clark, who averaged just 28.75 points before this game. “I just kept positive. Facing double or triple-team defense, I stayed aggressive, and at the same time I cut down on mistakes.”

Alas scored 24 points, including four three-pointers, Trollano added 16, and Nieto, who started at point guard, finished with 12 points, four rebounds, and three assists as NLEX recorded its third victory after earlier victories under interim coach Adonis Tierra.

After two losses, “this win means a lot, especially for TNT because they are a huge team,” Lim remarked.

Our upcoming games are all against strong opposition, and I was wondering when we would earn our first victory, but we managed to prevail, he continued.

The fact that they didn’t shoot well was fortunate, and I’m just delighted to have earned my first victory. I believed TNT’s players were too excellent for us to match man for man.

The first three quarters of the game saw the two teams play in a close contest, but with 6:40 remaining, the Road Warriors created some openings and took charge, leading 95 to 83.

With three minutes left, Nieto scored 12 points, including a crucial three-pointer that gave NLEX a 104-96 lead before Clark and Alas sent the Road Warriors packing. 

Cameron Clark, a TNT import, put up monster figures of 26 points, 22 rebounds, and 5 assists, but the Tropang Giga missed his offense in the decisive fourth quarter. 

For TNT, which dropped to 2-2, Roger Pogoy scored 19 points and grabbed 6 rebounds, while Mikey Williams scored 16 points, grabbed 5 rebounds, and made 5 assists.

Alas scored 24 points, including four three-pointers, Trollano contributed 16, and Nieto, who started at point guard, contributed 12 points, four rebounds, and three assists as NLEX recorded its third victory after earlier victories under interim coach Adonis Tierra.

After two losses, “this win means a lot, especially for TNT because they are a huge team,” Lim remarked.

We’re playing all big teams in our upcoming games, so I’m wondering when we’ll get our first victory, but we managed to prevail, he continued.

“Talented thing they didn’t shoot well, and I’m just pleased to earn my first win,” he said. “I thought TNT’s guys were too good for us man for man, which is why we played zone.”

The first three quarters of the game saw the two sides play in a close contest before the Road Warriors created some space and took charge at 95 to 83 with 6:40 left to play.

Scores at the end of the match

NLEX with 110 points for the win

Individual Scores: Clark 45, Alas 24, Trollano 16, Nieto 12, Miranda 9, Rosales 3, Chua 1, Varilla 0, Fonacier 0, Celda 0, Magat 0

TNT with 101 points

Individual Scores: Oliver 26, Pogoy 19, M.Williams 16, Oftana 11, Erram 10, Castro 8, Montalbo 6, K.Williams 5, Tungcab 0, Alejandro 0, Ganuelas-Rosser 0

Scores per quarter

26-15, 49-45, 74-77, 110-101