MANILA, Philippines—Ginebra has associated the word “winning” with “Justin Brownlee” and the Gin Kings did it yet again on Sunday.
In Game 3 of the PBA Governors’ Cup semifinals, Ginebra rode on Brownlee once more to take the 2-1 lead over San Miguel Beer, much to the delight of coach Tim Cone.
“We had some uncertain moments in the third quarter after halftime so thanks to this guy here, we recovered and thanks to him, down the stretch we were able to win,” said Cone after the 99-94 win.
READ: PBA: Justin Brownlee knows Ginebra ‘can’t make mistakes’ vs San Miguel
“Thanks to this guy and thanks to this guy,” Cone added in jest.
The longtime Ginebra import dropped 30 points, nine rebounds, five assists and five blocks in 44 minutes of action as the Gin Kings movde just two wins away from another Finals appearance.
The stellar outing didn’t come easy once again for Brownlee though, as his San Miguel Beer counterpart EJ Anosike dropped a double-double of 32 points and 10 rebounds.
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In usual Brownlee fashion, the naturalized Gilas swingman deflected the credit for himself and said his tremendous showing wouldn’t have happened without his team’s positive demeanor.
“I have a great group of guys with incredible work ethics and even better characters,” said Brownlee.
“All my years with Ginebra, the character of the team has always been great. They’re uplifting, motivating and always keeping a positive vibe.”
Brownlee and the Gin Kings shoot for the pivotal 3-1 lead on Wednesday at Araneta Coliseum.