MANILA, Philippines — The NLEX Road Warriors delivered a historic performance in their return to the PBA Season 50 Governors’ Cup on Wednesday, October 7, crushing Macau, 138-78, to establish the largest blowout victory in PBA history.
Playing their first match in almost two months, the Road Warriors asserted control early and never looked back. The 60-point rout broke the previous record of 56 points set by Rain or Shine against Blackwater in March.
The win also stands as the most lopsided victory in NLEX franchise history, topping their earlier 39-point triumph over Macau in their first matchup of the conference.
In addition, PBA chief statistician Fidel Mangonon III noted that the 138-point explosion represents the second-highest game total for the franchise, trailing only the 142 points NLEX poured in against Terrafirma during the 2023 Governors’ Cup.
With the victory, NLEX improved to an 8-2 record to grab sole possession of first place in Group A while officially punching its ticket to the postseason.
Newly arrived import Deonte Burton filled up the stat sheet in an impressive PBA debut, tallying 22 points, 14 rebounds, eight assists, and six steals.
Schonny Winston spearheaded the scoring attack for NLEX with 25 points, while Robert Bolick added 14. Kevin Alas, Anthony Semerad, and LJay Gonzales pitched in 10 points apiece. The Road Warriors breached the century mark midway through the third frame, building a massive 100-50 cushion.
Shorthanded Macau, which suited up just nine players following the departures of head coach Marcus Eliott alongside core members Ramon Cao, Damian Chongqui, and Jenning Leung, proved unable to stay within striking distance.
Newly signed reinforcement Oscar Lopez paced the Giant Pandas with a game-high 36 points, while Kobey Lam chipped in 22.
The loss dropped Macau to 2-7 in Group A standings.