ARVIN Tolentino overcame a slow start to finish with 29 points and tow NorthPort to a 114-87 blowout win over NLEX Thursday in a match kicking off their PBA Commissioner's Cup campaign at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
Tolentino missed his first four shots and went scoreless in the opening period but started finding his groove in the second where he scattered 15 of his points that enabled the Batang Pier to outscore the Road Warriors, 35-12.
Thus, after falling behind by as many as 16 points NorthPort took a 56-41 halftime lead that it stretched to a high of 114-83 before eventually wrapping up the resounding first win despite JM Calma, Jio Jalalon and Paul Zamar sitting it out due to injuries.
Both Tolentino and assistant coach Rensy Bajar, subbing for head coach Bonnie Tan in the post-game presser, deflected some of the credit to NorthPort's relievers for putting order in their game.
"It's all about the character of this team. We started flat... but the good thing there is our second group stepped up," said Bajar.
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"Medyo kinalawang kami, if that's the right term," said Tolentino, who wound up making 10 of his 17 shots, including 2-of-2 from beyond the arc.
"But 'yung second unit namin 'yung nagdala... then na-carry namin ang momentum. Nu'ng second quarter medyo umangat na laro namin," added the top local scorer in the last Governors Cup with a 10-game average of 23.7 ppg.
Kadeem Jack also bucked his own slot start and lack of familiarity with his local teammates by finishing with 25 points, six rebounds and three assists with Allyn Bulanadi coming off the bench for 14 points.
Joshua Munzon scored 12 points but, more important, anchored the excellent defense on NLEX ace Robert Bolick, who had a gamehigh nine assists but was held to just three points on a 1-of-11 shooting.
Evan Nelle went scoreless despite four field tries but dished off a teamhigh eight dimes to go with seven boards.
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Michael Griffin-Watkins tallied gamehighs of 29 points and 19 boards but was the lone bright spot when NLEX got outscored by 70-38 in the two middle quarters and went into the final quarter staring at a 67-91 deficit.
The Road Warriors started falling into the deep hole after failing to sustain a fine start that saw them making 10 of their first 21 shots to race to a 25-9 spread. (NC)
The Scores :
NORTHPORT 114 - Tolentino 29, Jack 25, Bulanadi 14, Munzon 12, Yu 8, Navarro 7, Miranda 5, Onwubere 4, Cuntapay 4, Taha 2, Flores 2, Tratter 2, Nelle 0.
NLEX 87 - Watkins 29, Rodger 11, Mocon 10, Semerad 10, Amer 6, Torres 6, Bolick 3, Nieto 3, Nermal 3, Policarpio 2, Valdez 2, Herndon 2, Marcelo 0, Fajardo 0.
QUARTERS : 21-29, 56-41, 91-67, 114-87
