NLEX had every excuse to fold. Playing without an import and missing injured star DeQuan Jones, the Road Warriors instead pushed Converge to the wire before falling, 112-110, in the PBA Governors’ Cup eliminations Friday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The result climbed Converge to third place in Group A, but the closeness of the score against a shorthanded opponent left plenty for the FiberXers to unpack. It also underscored just how competitive NLEX can be even while missing key pieces of its rotation.

Clark’s 37-Point Night Powers Converge’s Escape

Cameron Clark made sure NLEX’s short-handed lineup never turned into an easy night for Converge. The import exploited the absence of Jones with a 37-point, 12-rebound performance that carried the FiberXers to their second straight win, following a 120-103 blowout of Terrafirma just three days earlier.

Clark, who only joined the team this week as a replacement for Jamaal Franklin, said he set out to attack NLEX’s depleted frontline from the opening tip. He credited his early aggression for opening driving lanes and easy looks for his teammates throughout the contest.

Support arrived at the right moments too. Juan Gomez de Liano and Justin Arana each finished with 19 points, and their combined 23-point outburst in the fourth quarter fueled a 28-21 closing surge that built a 112-106 cushion with 13.2 seconds left.

NLEX’s Import-less Grit Exposes Converge’s Defensive Gaps

Despite falling short, NLEX made Converge sweat through all four quarters without an import on the floor. Ljay Gonzales led the Road Warriors with 23 points, while Robert Bolick added 19 as the team’s backcourt carried the offensive load in Jones’ absence.

The narrow margin did not sit well with Converge head coach Delta Pineda, who flagged defensive lapses that let a shorthanded opponent hang around late into the game. Pineda pointed out that facing a team without an import should have produced a more comfortable final score, and he vowed to address the issue during the upcoming break.

NLEX will regroup over the nearly two-month layoff before action resumes on Oct. 7, when the team welcomes new reinforcement Deonte Burton. The Road Warriors sit at 7-2, tied with San Miguel atop Group A, giving them a cushion to sort out their frontcourt questions before the playoff push begins.

Converge, meanwhile, improved to 5-4, good for third place in Group A behind NLEX and San Miguel. The win also strengthened the FiberXers’ position over fellow playoff hopefuls TNT (4-4), Terrafirma (3-5), Macau (2-6), and Titan Ultra (2-7) as the league heads into its extended hiatus.