November 09, 2024

Justin Brownlee yearns for rematch with Rondae Hollis-Jefferson after 2nd PBA Finals loss: ‘It hurts a little bit’

Justin Brownlee yearns for rematch with Rondae Hollis-Jefferson after 2nd PBA Finals loss: ‘It hurts a little bit’
Justin Brownlee finished with 16 points, six rebounds, and four assists in the Game 6 loss. Photo (c) RM Chua/One Sports

Ginebra resident import Justin Brownlee tried to make his way out of the Smart Araneta Coliseum as fast as he could before members of the press caught up to him.

Shortly after losing the PBA Season 49 Governors Cup Finals to TNT, Brownlee still flashed his patented smile when he faced reporters on Friday, November 8, inside the Big Dome.

But make no mistake about it, the naturalized Filipino was hurting inside after the Gin Kings lost another championship to the Tropang Giga, this one a repeat of their loss in the Season 47 Governors' Cup.

“Good fight for our guys. I’m proud of the team with how far we came. But it just hurts a little bit you know coming up short,” said Brownlee, who finished with 16 points, six rebounds, and four assists in Game 6.

Behind Brownlee and RJ Abarrientos’ brilliance, it looked like the Gin Kings were about to force a deciding Game 7.

But TNT had other things in mind.

Slowly, the Tropang Giga chipped away at Ginebra’s eight-point lead entering the fourth period, completing the quick 21-point turnaround for a 95-85 win.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Jayson Castro, and RR Pogoy dealt the finishing blows in a 29-11 fourth quarter as TNT went on to win its 10th PBA title.

Brownlee, who has salvaged Ginebra and Gilas Pilipinas countless times now, could not save his team this time.

“It was a good series, it was definitely fun. Not the way it ended of course but we competed. They played great and they won. Congratulations to them. It was well deserved. We gave it all we had we just came up short,” he said.

Brownlee is now 0-2 against his TNT counterpart in the PBA Finals. But this only makes him yearn for a victory over the former Brooklyn Net in the coming conferences should they meet again.

“I hope so [rematch with RHJ], I don’t know. We definitely would love to get back to the Finals and have a shot at them again,” Brownlee said.

“We definitely still feel confident going up against any team in this league. But it was just unfortunate in this series. TNT, they got us. The better team won.”

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