Ginebra head coach Tim Cone felt thrilled to see his star frontcourt play possibly their best game together, ultimately helping the reigning champs’ cause against TNT in the PBA Governors’ Cup quarterfinals, Wednesday night.
The 23-time champion mentor was, of course, referring to Justin Brownlee and the towering tandem of Japeth Aguilar and Christian Standhardinger.
“This was the best, I thought, that our three bigs played together – Christian, Japeth, and Justin. The best we’ve played this conference by far,” he offered after their season-saving 104-92 win at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
Brownlee finished with 38 points – his best scoring output since dropping 40 against San Miguel last February 20. The 2018 Commissioner’s Cup Best Import shot 62-percent, and also had 12 rebounds and three blocks.
The 6-foot-9 Aguilar, meanwhile, produced a conference-high 21 points on a 10-of-16 clip from the field. Aguilar also had seven rebounds in 37 minutes.
“He played with his tongue hanging out,” Cone said of Aguilar. “He had to really overplay, and we were pushing him and pushing him from the bench and talking to them and trying to get him to reach really deep. And he reached really deep.
“Japeth has a real tendency to show up in big games. He does play big games really well. And this was a big game for him, and hopefully next time out.”
Brownlee and Aguilar came up big down the stretch, joining hands with another brilliant performer in Scottie Thompson. Together, the trio widened a narrow two-point lead to 100-90. The three accounted for 23 of Ginebra’s last 25 points.
Part of that closing unit, too, was Standhardinger, scoring a bucket in the final seconds to help apply the finishing touches. The 2019 Governors’ Cup BPC finished with six points, alongside four rebounds and four assists.
He did manage to finish the game even if he had already accumulated five personal fouls with less than four minutes left in the third canto.
“Christian made some really tremendous passes and plays down the stretch, and was still able to defend with five fouls. So as limited as Christian played, he was really effective when he was out there,” lauded Cone.
The frontline’s impressive play couldn’t have come at a better time for Ginebra. It enabled them to avoid being dethroned at least for a game.
Brownlee himself admitted that it has been quite a struggle figuring things out with the Barangay’s big lineup featuring him, Aguilar, and Standhardinger. But at the same time, he has faith that it would only get better from hereon.
“Since I came back, you know, it’s been a little struggle,” the four-time PBA champion said. “We’re trying to figure each other out. It’s a bigger lineup, so, you know, we play a little different with that lineup.
“We just gotta keep working on it, tryna keep getting a rhythm and the feel for each other. And I think going further in the playoffs–hopefully–we’ll be good.”
Brownlee, though, isn’t looking too far ahead. Instead, he and the Gin Kings have their sights set on nowhere but Saturday’s do-or-die.
“We’re not trying to look forward past this one game, just trying to stay in the moment, and just tryna treat that one game every game now in the playoffs like it’s the most important,” said the American cager.
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