By REYNALD MAGALLON
The Gin Kings finally found a chink on what seemed to be an impenetrable scales of the Dragons.
And Justin Brownlee who erupted for 46 points made sure to pounce on that as Ginebra San Miguel handed Bay Area its first taste of defeat with a 111-93 triumph in the 2022 PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the PhilSports Arena on Sunday, Oct. 9.
Brownlee dropped 18 of his total in a blistering third quarter assault from the Kings that all but tore the game wide open much to the delight of an obviously good sized pro-Ginebra crowd inside the venue.
The Kings also tightened its defensive screws in the second half and slowed down debuting Bay Area import Andrew Nicholson who figured in an offensive showdown with Brownlee dropping 26 points in the first two quarters before he was limited to just measly two points in the second half.
Jamie Malonzo provided support with 17 points while Stanley Pringle added 10. Christian Standhardinger also had a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds all while putting the cuffs on Nicholson.
Tied 52-all early in the third frame, Brownlee triggered the massive run with a quick six points before Malonzo followed suit with a couple of baskets of his own to establish the first double-digit spread of the contest, 62-52.
Also debuting Jeremiah Gray, Scottie Thompson and Brownlee then went on a tear, drilling big treys and completing highlight dunks as the fans erupted with Ginebra chants. Brownlee even capped the blistering quarter with a tough fall away three-pointer from the right corner to beat the buzzer.
When the dust settled, the Kings were already up by 19 big points, 85-66 – a lead that the team never let go in the final frame.
Nicholson finished with 28 points and 12 rebounds to pace the Dragons while Glen Yang stepped up with the exit of prolific import Myles Powell, finishing with 15 points, eight rebounds and four assists.
The scores:
GINEBRA 111 – Brownlee 46, Malonzo 17, Standhardinger 11, Pringle 10, Thompson 8, J.Aguilar 5, Gray 5, Pessumal 3, Onwubere 2, Tenorio 2, Pinto 2, R.Aguilar 0, Mariano 0.
BAY AREA 93 – Nicholson 28, Yang 15, Lam 13, Blankley 8, Liu 8, Ewing 8, Si 5, Reid 4, Zhu 2, Zheng 2, Song 0, Liang 0, Ju 0.
Quarters: 26-28, 50-48, 85-66, 111-93
