Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Barangay Ginebra is slowly building up momentum in the season’s third conference after taking down Alaska, 109-101, for its second straight win in the PBA Governors’ Cup Sunday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Gin Kings opened their campaign on a 2-0 start and climbed to the second spot of the standings and in the process snapped the Aces’ three-game winning streak.
Justin Brownlee was marvelous down the stretch for the Gin Kings putting up 17 points in the final frame as they held off the Aces’ advances in the period.
That heavy production of Brownlee, however, doesn’t bode too well with Ginebra head coach Tim Cone’s long term plans.
“It was a stressful game, we weren’t playing well as a team but Justin is playing particularly well as an individual,” said Cone. “That’s always a little scary because you know what we can’t be too Justin reliant and everybody’s got to step up.”
Ginebra is without key players Joe Devance and Sol Mercado who both had procedures done on their legs.
Devance had a medical procedure done on his knee while Mercado is recovering after he got surgery on a meniscal tear.
With the team depleted to its very foundations, Brownlee took it upon himself to put Ginebra on his back.
After Vic Manuel’s free throw trimmed the Gin Kings’ lead to four, 98-94, with 2:41 left Bronwlee scored two straight field goals with the second one coming off a beautiful layup through traffic for Ginebra’s 102-94 lead at the two-minute mark.
Brownlee produced yet another moment of magic when he converted on a physically-contested jumper, that turned into a three-point play for Ginebra’s 106-98 lead with 39 seconds to play.
Ginebra’s talismanic import eventually finished with a season-high 45 points with 11 rebounds and nine assists while Japeth Aguilar added a 24-point and 10-rebound double-double.
Brownlee’s near triple-double singlehandedly erased three 20-point performances from the Aces who saw Manuel put up 28 points.
Alaska’s import Mike Harris had 23 points and 19 rebounds but only played until the third quarter after twisting his left ankle late in the period.
Chris Banchero orchestrated Alaska’s offense with 21 points and 10 assists.