Robert Bolick had put up back-to-back big games for NLEX before the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup hit pause for Gilas Pilipinas.
Robert Bolick headlines NLEX as it aims to tighten its grip of the top spot when it tangles with Magnolia in the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup Sunday, Dec. 7.
Match begins at 5:15 p.m. at the Ynares Sports Center in Montalban.
[WATCH: PBA LIVESTREAM: Magnolia Hotshots vs NLEX Road Warriors | Philippine Cup]
The Road Warriors stand at 6-2, sharing the tournament’s best record with San Miguel, Rain or Shine and Converge.
A win over the Hotshots would significantly bolster their bid for a coveted twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals.
Before the league paused for Gilas Pilipinas’ FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers campaign, NLEX had won back-to-back games, highlighted by Bolick's dominant showing against Titan Ultra.
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In that game, Bolick erupted for 36 points, including 17 in a fiery fourth quarter that buried the Giant Risers.
He also had five rebounds, 10 assists and two steals.
Bolick is expected to go all-out once again, especially as he gears up to join the Gilas squad competing in the upcoming Southeast Asian Games from Dec. 13 to 19.
Magnolia, meanwhile, is coming off a 97-114 defeat to Converge, where a strong start faded into a difficult second-half collapse.
Despite Zavier Lucero’s 31-point explosion, the Hotshots fell to joint 5-3 with TNT and now need to sweep their remaining games to boost their Top-Four hopes.
(With reports from Jan Ballesteros)
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[Editor’s note: This article was written by a member of One Sports Digital with the help of AI and reviewed by editorial staff for accuracy.]