The NLEX Road Warriors saw their promising 2026 Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup campaign come to a heartbreaking end on Saturday, May 16, after absorbing a 118-112 defeat to defending champions TNT Tropang Giga in the quarterfinals at the Ynares Center.
Entering the playoffs armed with a coveted twice-to-beat advantage, the Road Warriors appeared to hold the upper hand against a TNT side loaded with championship pedigree and veteran firepower. However, the Tropang Giga once again leaned on the brilliance of import Bol Bol, who delivered another dominant performance with 35 points and 13 rebounds to propel TNT into the semifinal round.
Despite the disappointing exit, NLEX head coach Jong Uichico acknowledged that his young squad simply ran into a more experienced and battle-tested opponent. The veteran tactician admitted that TNT’s depth, versatility, and tactical adjustments ultimately overwhelmed the Road Warriors throughout the decisive contest.
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“I mean, ang admin weapon against us. Ang daming napupuntahan ng Talk ‘N Text talaga. I was outcoached by Chot Reyes trying to find those mismatches. We had no solution. Roger Pogoy, Calvin Oftana, Rey Nambatac – lahat may counter,” Uichico said during the postgame press conference.
TNT’s balanced attack repeatedly punished NLEX on both ends of the floor. Aside from Bol’s inside dominance, the Tropang Giga received crucial contributions from Roger Pogoy, Calvin Oftana, and Rey Nambatac, whose timely scoring and defensive pressure prevented the Road Warriors from sustaining momentum.
NLEX managed to threaten late in the game after trimming what was once a nearly 20-point deficit, but TNT’s composure and execution down the stretch proved decisive.
“That’s why ganoon. Lamang by almost 20, humabol lang nung huli pero wala na ‘yun. Kami naman, I think we scored enough to win the game, but if the score is that way, hindi kami mananalo,” Uichico added.
#WATCH: I WAS OUTCOACHED BY CHOT 🏀
Jong Uichico admits that TNT simply had too many weapons and counters for NLEX, which led to their demise in the #PBA50 Comm’s Cup quarterfinals#ReadMore 👉 https://t.co/NHHkpGQPrB
📹 @justinebacnis /Tiebreaker Times pic.twitter.com/C6x7EgiVp7
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) May 16, 2026
A major factor in the Road Warriors’ defeat was the subdued outing from franchise star Robert Bolick. After carrying NLEX throughout the elimination round and emerging as one of the conference’s premier performers, Bolick struggled to impose himself offensively in the do-or-die matchup, finishing with just 16 points.
The output marked only a slight improvement from his 15-point effort in the first quarterfinal encounter, where foul trouble severely hampered his rhythm and playing time. Throughout the series, TNT’s defensive schemes focused heavily on limiting Bolick’s opportunities, forcing him to expend significant energy on both offense and defense.
Uichico admitted the physically demanding series eventually took a toll on his star guard, who had been tasked with carrying a massive workload for the Road Warriors all conference long.
“Siyempre, well, in the first game, na-foul out siya. Na-foul trouble siya and it limited his minutes. But nagiging double ‘yung trabaho niya because he has to score and defend also at the same time. Doon kami nagkaproblema. Medyo nagkayod siya sa series na ito,” Uichico continued.
While the loss denied NLEX a breakthrough semifinal appearance, the conference still represented another encouraging step forward for the franchise. The Road Warriors consistently established themselves among the league’s top contenders during the elimination phase, securing top-two finishes in both the Philippine Cup and Commissioner’s Cup group stages.
For Uichico, the challenge now is translating strong eliminations performances into deeper playoff runs. The longtime coach emphasized the importance of maintaining consistency and continuing to build the team’s confidence and chemistry moving forward.
“There’s always something positive to look at. If we can remain consistent this way, sooner or later, makaka-advance din kami sa semis. If we are consistent in the top four, so that means there’s something. We are getting stronger, or we are doing something correct. Hopefully, if we are consistent in the top four, then makakaahon kami sa ganitong sitwasyon,” he concluded.
Although their Commissioner’s Cup journey ended earlier than hoped, the Road Warriors once again demonstrated that they are steadily evolving into one of the PBA’s most competitive squads. With Bolick continuing to emerge as one of the league’s elite guards and a core gaining valuable postseason experience, NLEX remains optimistic that future conferences could finally yield the deep playoff breakthrough the franchise has long been chasing.
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