Justin Brownlee says he just responded to his fellow Ginebra Gin Kings' call to take over in Game 2 of their PBA quarters duel against the Meralco Bolts.
Locked in a battle that had fans reminiscing the 2016 PBA Governors’ Cup Finals between Ginebra and Meralco, the one in red shirt prevailed again.
Justin Brownlee one-upped rival Allen Durham anew as the Gin Kings nipped the Bolts, 104-103, in Game 2 of their PBA Season 49 Governors’ Cup quarterfinals at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao on Saturday, Sept. 28.
Brownlee finished with 39 points, none bigger than the three-pointer in the face of Durham with 10.1 ticks remaining that settled the count for Ginebra, giving the crowd favorite a 2-0 edge in the best-of-five contest.
Brownlee filled up the rest of his stat line with seven boards, five assists, three blocks and a steal.
Durham matched his rival's offensive output, churning out his own 39-point tally, 16 of which he poured in the fourth period. The Meralco import also collared 14 rebounds, dished out three assists and swiped a steal,
Over a minute before Brownlee’s heroics at endgame, the hulking Durham scored against Japeth Aguilar and fished a foul. He made the bonus free throw to hand the Bolts a 101-103 lead with 1:22 left to play.
The naturalized Filipino and Gilas hero then conjured his magic for the Gin Kings.
Brownlee made a huge defensive play, blocking Durham’s attempt off a spin. He dribbled the ball on the other end of the court and took matters into his own hands.
He nailed the game-winning stepback triple, which reminded spectators of his picture-perfect shot at the buzzer eight years ago at the historic venue.
Ginebra head coach Tim Cone was no longer surprised with Brownlee's stellar feat, which he ranked among his ward's best.
“But tonight was Justin’s night. It was amazing,” said Cone of Brownlee.
“We’ve seen so many games of Justin, winning games down the stretch. And this is another one of them. Top 4 or 5, maybe.”
[WATCH: Justin Brownlee cold-blooded at endgame as he saves Ginebra against Meralco in Game 2 | PBA Highlights]
While Brownlee indeed owned the night, other Gin Kings also shone.
Scottie Thompson had 19 points, six rebounds, three assists, a steal and a block to backstop Brownlee. Also chipping in are Maverick Ahanmisi (15 points), RJ Abarrientos and Japeth Aguilar (11 each).
“Just knowing that we needed a big basket or a score. My teammates always trusted in me,” said Brownlee.
“They were calling the play for me; they wanted me to just lead and take over the game. And that’s what I tried to do the best way I can.”
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Chris Newsome scored 23 while Cliff Hodge did it all with his 15 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists but the Bolts still faltered for the second game in a row in the playoffs to put them on the brink.
The Scores:
GINEBRA 104 – Brownlee 39, Thompson 19, Ahanmisi 15, Abarrientos 11, J.Aguilar 11, Holt 6, Cu 3, Devance 0, Tenorio 0, Pinto 0, R.Aguilar 0.
MERALCO 103 – Durham 39, Newsome 23, Hodge 15, Quinto 8, Bates 7, Mendoza 6, Banchero 3, Pasaol 2, Caram 0, Rios 0, Almazan 0.
Quarterscores: 28-21, 48-41, 79-75, 104-103