Bay Area clinches PBA playoff berth after demolishing NLEX

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

Foreign guest team Bay Area Dragons made sure their overseas trip will not go to waste after becoming the first team to qualify in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals.

The surging bay Area squad barely broke a sweat against the struggling NLEX Road Warriors and crushed them 118-98, on November 13, 2022, held at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.

NLEX started with crisp offensive executions after feeding the ball in the post to their former NBA import Earl Clark who was dominating the shaded area.

However, the Road Warriors found themselves in deep trouble after Bay Area’s Myles Powell waxed hot from the three-point area that quickly turned the tables around midway through the second quarter.

What was once a tightly-contested game became a blowout as the Dragons outscored the Road Warriors 38-24 in just the second quarter.

The Road Warriors then failed to recover in the second half and were unable to trim their deficit to single digits. Despite Don Trollano’s offensive spark, NLEX still failed to match Bay Area’s intensity and efficient shot-making.

“We certainly understand this competition and how it operates, and finishing in the Top Two is an advantage. And we’re focused on trying to do that, more so than the quarterfinals,” said Bay Area head coach Brian Goorjian.

Powell top-scored Bay Area for two consecutive games already and finished with 36 big points, eight rebounds, six assists, and two steals.

Meanwhile, Bay Area’s steady scoring contributors in Liu Chuanxing and Ju Mingxin continued their fine play and chipped in 11 points apiece.

The Road Warriors on the other hand lost four games in a row and will need to sweep their remaining playing schedule for the race in the last spot of the upcoming playoffs.

Clark led the way for NLEX with 17 points and 11 rebounds backstopped by Trollano who ended the game hot but his 15 points weren’t enough to lead his team to a comeback.