The Ginebra Gin Kings needed Justin Brownlee to be at his best in ousting the Meralco Bolts in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals.
When Ginebra needed a spark, Justin Brownlee showed up.
That was exactly what Gin Kings coach Tim Cone said as his wards bucked a lousy start to survive Meralco, 94-87, in Game 3 of the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals Sunday, Feb. 9.
[RELATED STORY: Ginebra extends dominance over playoff rival Bolts in Game 3, enters PBA Comm's Cup semis]
For the nth time, Brownlee lifted Ginebra especially when the Gin Kings were staring at a 19-32 deficit early in the second period.
The naturalized Filipino dropped 10 of his 25 points in the said quarter before conspiring with Stephen Holt (17 points) and RJ Abarrientos (16 points) to deliver the finishing touches.
Brownlee also had 10 rebounds and seven assists in a drama-filled game that saw Bolts consultant Nenad Vucinic get tossed out for disrespectfully addressing an official.
“We just needed a spark and Playoff Justin showed up and gave us that spark… When we got back to one point at halftime, we're all confident we can win this game,” said Cone after the match at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.
Holt nailed a dagger of a triple with 1:09 left to play for a 91-78 lead.
But Meralco still refused to go down, with reinforcement Akil Mitchell making a four-pointer that got the Bolts to within five, 87-92.
But time just did not favor the Bolts.
Ginebra import Justin Brownlee is unstoppable in the lastest installment of the Gin Kings' playoff rivalry with the Meralco Bolts in the PBA. | Photo (c) RM Chua/One Sports
Brownlee, who has yet to lose a series against Meralco, tipped his hat off to his playoff rivals.
“First, I just want to give Meralco a lot of credit. They are a really tough team. Whenever you’re going up against a team like that, you always want to play your best. Because if you are not at your best, they’re probably going to beat you,” said Brownlee.
“I just try to go out there every time. Give it my all, follow the game plan. Must be aggressive and be myself.”
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Mitchell, who looked like he was still bothered by back spasms, was limited to just eight points. He also chipped in 12 rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block.
Chris Newsome topscored for Meralco with 22 points, while Bong Quinto had 16 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals.
The Scores:
GINEBRA 94 – Brownlee 23, Holt 17, Abarrientos 16, Rosario 12, Thompson 7, J.Aguilar 6, Ahanmisi 6, Cu 5, Malonzo 0.
MERALCO 87 – Newsome 22, Quinto 16, Hodge 13, Banchero 12, Black 9, Mitchell 8, Rios 5, Almazan 2, Bates 0.
Quarterscores: 19-22, 37-38, 64-58, 94-87.