There’s a reason why Justin Brownlee was regarded as the gold standard for imports in the PBA.
And he showed just that as the Ginebra resident import nailed the go-ahead jumper to help his team pull off a pulsating 102-100 escape against TNT in Game 1 of the PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup Finals at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday, June 3.
The Kings squandered a big 18-point lead but banked on the heroics of Brownlee and RJ Abarrientos to restore order, with the former nailing a tough fadeaway jumper over the outstretched arms of Chris McCullough to put Ginebra back in the lead with 0.6 seconds left.
Abarrientos topscored his team with 24 points — none bigger than the back-to-back four-pointers that gave Ginebra a 100-97 lead. RR Pogoy kept TNT in the game, draining a booming triple to tie the game with 10.6 seconds left, setting the table for Brownlee heroics.
Brownlee finished with 23 points and eight assists while Troy Rosario stepped up big with 16 points and nine rebounds. Scottie Thompson chipped in 15.
