Leave Justin Brownlee open and he will definitely make you– in this case, the San Miguel Beermen— pay.
Justin Brownlee is a simple man.
Whenever left open, the six-time PBA champion will not hesitate to take the shot regardless of where he is on the floor.
And Brownlee was more than glad to welcome what the Beermen’s defense was giving him.
“They [San Miguel] always have a good game plan, but for some reason I found myself open from the deep, from the four,” the 36-year-old spoke in the aftermath of Brgy. Ginebra’s dominating Game 1 romp of San Miguel in their Governors’ Cup semifinal.
Brownlee made the Beermen pay for their gameplan on him, delivering 33 points, eight rebounds, and five dimes on top of his red-hot shooting from outside the arc.
[ALSO READ: PBA: Red-hot Justin Brownlee, Brgy. Ginebra draw first blood against San Miguel in Governors' Cup semis]
He went for 5/6 from the four-point line and made three of his five attempts from the three-point land in a superb shooting from long-range.
The five four-pointers made was the most by any player in a single game in league history since its implementation in this Governors’ Cup.
“I just want to come out and be aggressive. I felt that I was in a good rhythm, and I just wanted to take shots that were presented,” Brownlee said.
And so he did. And once he got going, so were the Gin Kings.
Brgy. Ginebra knocked down 12 threes, three each from Brownlee, rookie RJ Abarrientos and Nard Pinto with Stephen Holt– who finished with 30 points— adding two and Maverick Ahanmisi hitting one.
And for a team as mighty as the Beermen, their plan of leaving Brownlee open might not be the best defensive scheme moving forward.
“San Miguel, they always come and are ready to play. I just try to shoot them and be aggressive,” the three-time Best Import bared.
Brownlee and the Co. eye for a 2-0 series lead when the two teams meet again on Friday, October 11.