Brownlee fires 54, shoves Ginebra closer to PBA Comm’s Cup title

Sports

JUSTIN Brownlee showed why he is a three-time Best Import awardee.

Brownlee recorded his highest scoring game in a Barangay Ginebra jersey, firing a whopping a career-high 54 points to lead the Kings to a critical 100-95 overtime win over the TNT Tropang 5G in Game 5 of the 50th PBA Commissioner Cup Finals on Friday night, June 12, at the Araneta Coliseum.

In front of more than 18,000 fans, Brownlee delivered an offensive masterpiece to help Ginebra move a win away from clinching the crown after taking a 3-2 series lead.

Brownlee went 22-for-37 from the field, including a 3-of-5 and 7-of-9 clips from the free throw area and three-point territory, respectively.

Ginebra will try to close out the series in Game 6 slated Sunday, June 14, at the above-mentioned venue.

So far in the series, no team has won back-to-back, a trend that the Tropa are hoping to continue to keep their title-retention bid alive.

TNT led for most part of the way but Brownlee, who also collected 14 rebounds, fired nine straight points in a crucial endgame run that allowed the Kings to overtake the Tropa, 89-87, in the final 1:15 of the regulation.

RR Pogoy sent the match into overtime by downing two free throws that made it 89-all.

Brownlee capped his game-long brillaince by scoring five more points in the extension period where he nearly outscored TNT. The Tropa could only produce a meager five points in the extra five-minute session.

The Tropa stumbled despite getting a solid double-double of 38 points and 16 rebounds from Chris McCullough. Roger Pogoy added 23 markers.

The loss was a bitter spill to swallow for the Tropa, who led by 11 in the third and were still ahead by seven in the closing minutes of the fourth.

THE SCORES:

GINEBRA (100)- Brownlee 54, Abarrientos 13, J. Aguilar 12, Rosario 10, Thompson 6, Holt 2, Abis 2, Pinto 1, Torres 0, Cu 0, Gray 0.

TNT (95)- McCullough 38, Pogoy 23, Heading 13, Oftana 9, Castro 6, Rosser 2, Galinato 2, Nambatac 2, Williams 0, Khobuntin 0.QUARTERSCORES: 25-17, 48-50, 65-70, 89-89, 100-95.(CCM)