NLEX Road Warriors rise, Tropang 5G triumph in OT as PBA action heats up

The PBA 50th Season Philippine Cup delivered drama, redemption, and breakout performances on Wednesday night, headlined by the NLEX Road Warriors proving themselves as dark-horses and the TNT Tropang 5G surviving a dramatic overtime bust-back to join the frontrunners.

NLEX bolsters contender status with balanced victory

NLEX vaulted to the provisional lead in the standings after a 99-88 victory over the Blackwater Bossing at the Ynares Center, marking their third straight win to improve to 4-1. The Road Warriors leaned on a potent mix of youthful firepower and veteran orchestration.

JB Bahio exploded for a career-high 23 points on 11-of-15 shooting, adding six rebounds and two assists. He sparked NLEX’s decisive flurry, dropping nine of his points in the fourth quarter as the Road Warriors pulled away.

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WHAT A GAME! TNT steals the WIN !

By: ArenaPlus PH – Our Official Partner#PBA50#PBA50LID#PBA50SOLID pic.twitter.com/m7sAmxKL1N

— PBA (@pbaconnect) October 29, 2025

 Meanwhile, Xyrus Torres set the tone early, with eight of his 18 points coming in the opening frame to build a lead. Robert Bolick, steady in his return, recorded 15 points, 12 assists, five boards and one steal, knitting together a performance that saw six NLEX players hit double figures.

Blackwater, now at 1-3, found only two scorers in the double digits in Sedrick Barefield (19) and Dalph Panopio (12), while the rest of their roster struggled to sustain offensive pace and defensive consistency.

TNT escapes Meralco in overtime thriller

The TNT Tropang 5G, meanwhile, completed a furious comeback from 23 points down to edge the Meralco Bolts, 100-98 in overtime, also climbing to 4-1 and tying for the top spot. With seconds ticking away in OT, Rey Nambatac rose to the occasion, draining the game-winning pull-up jumper with 0.7 seconds remaining — capping a night of late heroics.

Nambatac finished with 22 points, while teammate Calvin Oftana led the team with 24 points, five rebounds, and four steals. Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser and Roger Pogoy added 14 points apiece, and Jio Jalalon chipped in 10 points and three assists, anchoring TNT’s gritty resurrection.

Meralco, now 3-4, dominated the early stages with a 46-23 second-quarter lead yet allowed the game to slip away. Chris Newsome nailed a trey with 17.6 seconds left to force OT, but the Bolts simply couldn’t respond in the game’s closing moments.

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