[ad_1]
NLEX closed its 2020 PBA season on a high note by putting down Terrafirma 127-101 on the final day of the Philippines Cup knockout round on Wednesday at the Angeles University Foundation Sports and Cultural Center.
Kiefer Ravena set the pace by scoring 17 of his 23 points in the second half for the Road Warriors, who used a 42-point explosion in the third quarter to set the score early on. He hit 5 of 8 triples and added five rebounds and four assists in just 23 minutes.
Raúl Soyud added 16, five rebounds and five assists, Jericho Cruz had 12 and six assists in 17 minutes, while Anthony Semerad and Asi Taulava also threw 11 apiece for the Road Warriors.
Already eliminated from playoff contention by entering their game against Dyip, who lives in the basement, the Road Warriors hardly looked bored and proceeded to pile them on top of their counterparts after the break.
Cruz first led an 11-2 flurry by NLEX after Terrafirma opened the fourth with a basket to turn an 11-point lead at halftime into a 66-48 lead just four minutes into the second half.
The Road Warriors then heated up even more in the quarter, where they nailed 60.7 percent of their shots and shot 7-of-11 3-pointers. Ravena, who hit three of his 3s during that span, and Semerad had nine apiece during that span, while Cruz scored eight there.
A late three from Ayonayon to end the fourth later marked the Road Warriors’ huge third draw and increased the margin to 26, 97-71, entering the fourth.
Terrafirma couldn’t close the gap after that, as Ravena and NLEX even raised the lead to 32 in the middle of the final frame.
NLEX finished the season with a 5-6 card.
Terrafirma, instead, was led once again by CJ Pérez in a losing effort. He had 27 and 10 for the Dyip, who will come out of the bubble sitting on the bottom with a 1-10 win-loss record.
