The NLEX Road Warriors are often an afterthought behind their sister teams, the TNT Tropang Giga and the reigning Philippine Cup champion Meralco Bolts, but their strong start to the ongoing 2024 PBA Governor’s Cup hints that this might not be the case for much longer.

The Road Warriors claimed a 112-108 overtime victory over the mighty San Miguel Beermen in Cagayan de Oro to improve their record to 3-1 in this conference. Their record puts them at second place in Group B, behind only the undefeated Rain or Shine Elasto Painters.

After hitting a clutch three-pointer to seal NLEX’s win against the Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters last week, Robbie Herndon struck again. He made a three-pointer with 28 seconds left to play in overtime to give the Road Warriors a 110-106 lead.

Herndon’s shot allowed him to exact some sort of revenge against his former team, the Beermen, who left him unsigned last year.

Following Herndon’s three, June Mar Fajardo made a basket on San Miguel’s next possession to trim NLEX’s lead back down to two points. Robert Bolick then responded with two made free throws to bring their lead back to four. CJ Perez and Chris Ross both missed four-point shots that would have tied the game before the final buzzer sounded, allowing the Road Warriors to walk away with the hard-fought win.

Six players scored at least 10 points for NLEX, led by import Myke Henry who hit 14-of-27 field goals to finish with 33 points. He also had six rebounds, four assists, two steals, and two blocks, though he did have five turnovers. 

Robert Bolick led the Road Warriors’ locals in terms of scoring with 20 points and he also had nine rebounds, three assists, two steals, and four turnovers. Mike Miranda added 17, including two three-pointers and one four-pointer, while reserves Jonnel Policarpio, Jhan Nermal, and Herndon chipped in with 12, 10, and 10 points, respectively.

NLEX still has a long way to go before they can be considered legitimate contenders for PBA championships, yet their strong start to this Governor’s Cup is quite encouraging. With a dynamic guard like Bolick leading the charge, a high-upside rookie like Policarpio, and the recent addition of nine-time PBA champion head coach Jong Uichico, the future is bright for the Road Warriors. The presence of hard-nosed role players such as Miranda, Nermal, and Herndon should only help them as well moving forward. 

They might still be a few pieces away from being equals with TNT and Meralco, but it should only be a matter of time before NLEX becomes contenders in their own right, with wins like this one versus the Beermen only pushing them further along on their developmental path.