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Kevin Alas glad to see NLEX teammates take the lead vs Alaska

Sports | Basketball

Kevin Alas glad to see NLEX teammates take the lead vs Alaska

By Jonas Terrado

Photo from PBA

Kevin Alas is glad to see NLEX pass the first test in the PBA Philippine Cup without its undisputed leader Kiefer Ravena.

The Road Warriors resumed their campaign on a winning note Thursday, Sept. 2 by defeating the Alaska Aces, 84-74, with Alas, Jericho Cruz and JR Quinahan leading the way.

But one unheralded player who also stood tall for NLEX was Kenneth Ighalo, who missed all of the previous four games in July at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.

Ighalo scored 10 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter which allowed the Road Warriors to pull away in the match that had three ties and nine lead changes.

“Yung role ni Kiefer sa team kung baga pinapadali niya yung buhay namin. He can score, pass kasi yung focus ng depensa lahat na kay Kiefer,” Alas said after the game held at the Don Honorio Ventura State University in Bacolor, Pampanga.

“Of course, it’s tougher right now without Kiefer. But I mean, good thing mga teammates ko nag-step up lahat. Yun nga sinasabi ni Coach Yeng (Guiao), yung collective effort at dapat hindi isang tao lang ang mag-step up. Not me, not Jericho. Dapat talaga collective effort.”

The victory was doubly sweeter for NLEX since it played sans Tony Semerad and big man Raul Soyud.

Semerad, averaging 8.8 points this conference, skip the game after his wife Sam Pinto gave birth to a baby girl while Soyud, also with 8.8 points while hauling down 7.8 boards in four games, is dealing with an injury.

But Ravena’s absence likely for the rest of the eliminations due to necessary requirements he has to process in Japan for his upcoming B.League stint with the Shiga Lakestars will give NLEX more challenges to hurdle even after its latest triumph.

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NLEX Road Warriors Kevin Alas PBA Philippine Cup pba

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