PBA Finals: Brownlee encore could dictate tiebreaker

Justin Brownlee’s encore after his heroic performance two nights ago will likely dictate how Sunday’s pivotal Game 5 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals will go.

Brownlee is expected to push through pain and lead Ginebra’s bid to repeat over TNT and take the all-important 3-2 lead at 7:30 p.m. at Smart Araneta Coliseum, after a dislocated right thumb that initially raised concerns about his status for the Finals.

But it will take more than a reprise of his 23-point effort in Friday’s 95-78 win to push the Kings ahead. How the rest of the team can play the supporting role may even be more crucial for the Gin Kings’ cause.

“It can’t be all just Justin Brownlee and Scottie Thompson. It’s gotta be more,” said coach Tim Cone.

The longtime Ginebra import has been carrying Ginebra throughout the series amid the injury, averaging 26.3 points, 10.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.3 blocks, while Thompson is Ginebra’s top producing local with 14.3 points, 10.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.0 steals.

Game 4 finally witnessed crucial contributions from Japeth Aguilar and Jamie Malonzo, who have had their shares of struggles in the previous three outings of the title series.

Malonzo top-scored with 24 points, including a pair of big shots in the fourth that enabled Ginebra to pull away from TNT, which for three quarters kept itself in the fight and even had a three-point lead before its offense sputtered.

Aguilar, meanwhile, shook off his own woes by posting 18 points on 9-of-16 shooting plus eight rebounds even as Stephen Holt and Maverick Ahanmisi were also huge for the Gin Kings during the breakaway.

“Japeth really got nice isolations and took advantage of it at really important times,” Cone said. “And that team with Stephen, Jamie and Mav, along with Justin and Scottie, allowed us to take off.”