Ginebra import Justin Brownlee. PBA IMAGES
It was supposed to be Ginebra’s grand return to the finals.
Yet it was the first timers Meralco who would spoil Ginebra’s return with a 114-109 stunner in overtime.
Allen Durham led the Bolts with an impressive line of 46 points, 13 rebounds, and seven assists, while his Ginebra counterpart Justin Brownlee did not fare so well.
READ: Meralco trips Ginebra
“Give a lot of credit to Allen Durham, he played really well, and he was a tough guy to stop,” said Brownlee who finished with 17 points, on 7-of-18 shooting, and eight rebounds in Game One of the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals Friday.
“Mainly, I would take the blame because Allen had a great game, that was my guy, I take a lot of blame for that.”
While Durham was laying the foundation for the Bolts’ late run with 13 points in the third period, Brownlee went scoreless in the same stretch.
READ: Roaring Big Dome energizes Durham in 46-point night
Meralco outscored Ginebra 60-49 in the second half and that momentum eventually carried over to the overtime period.
“We just didn’t finish the game like we usually do, if you want to call it a collapse I guess you could say that,” said Brownlee. “We couldn’t get stops, defensively I take the blame for that.”