The NLEX Road Warriors clinched a quarterfinal spot in dramatic fashion on Sunday, September 22, outlasting the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings, 103-99, in overtime at the Araneta Coliseum.

The hard-earned victory gave the Road Warriors a 5-5 record in Pool B to end the elimination round of the 2024 PBA Governors’ Cup. They claimed the last quarterfinals spot in the group, officially ousting Blackwater in the process.

Import DeQuan Jones, playing his third game for NLEX, survived a foul-plagued first half to fire 44 points on top of 10 rebounds, while Robert Bolick had 16 points, 11 assists and seven boards.

Anthony Semerad scored six of his 12 points in overtime to help the Road Warriors take control of the game.

“We had control of the regulation period, but they made big plays, we missed some shots. That’s just the way the game is,” NLEX coach Jong Uichico said after the game. “We played almost the whole first half without [Jones], and the guys stayed in the game.”

“DJ found his rhythm later on. In overtime, we made big stops. I think we made big shots also,” he added.

NLEX had what seemed to be a comfortable 92-85 lead with 2:14 left, thanks to an and-1 from Jones, only for Justin Brownlee to take over for Ginebra as he had done so many times before.

The celebrated import assisted on a three-pointer by rookie RJ Abarrientos before scoring back-to-back buckets to knot the count at 92 with 32 seconds to go. Neither team could execute in the closing seconds, with Semerad and Abarrientos missing their attempts at go-ahead buckets.

But in the extra period, Semerad finally found his range to put NLEX ahead, 95-92. Disaster then struck for Ginebra as Brownlee had to exit the game with still 3:36 left due to cramps.

A pair of charities by Japeth Aguilar made it a one-point game, but Semerad drilled another triple and Jones fired a long-range bomb of his own for a 101-96 NLEX lead with 2:16 left.

The Gin Kings still had a chance after Stephen Holt split his charities for a 101-97 count with 1:26 to go, but Bolick found Richie Rodger wide open for an insurance bucket with 55 seconds left that took the fight out of Ginebra.

Brownlee, who played nearly 43 minutes, had 26 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, two steals, and two blocks. Aguilar finished with 22 points and nine boards.

The Gin Kings concluded the elimination round with a 6-4 win-loss record. (ABS-CBN News)