Anyone else but Justin Brownlee.
It was simply the defensive strategy coach Brian Goorjian told Bay Area in an aim to prevent the three-time Best Import from causing damage to the guest team’s late rally in Game Five of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals, Sunday night.
Brownlee re-established Ginebra’s lead to 10 to also register his 37th point with under five minutes remaining in the match, but was no longer allowed by the Dragons to score more afterwards following the veteran mentor’s call.
It did work as Goorjian’s wards cut the deficit to as low as five, 86-91, behind Hayden Blankley’s freebies with 2:18 left, giving the crowd darlings shades of another major scare like they did in their previous encounter two nights ago.
Stanley Pringle happened, though.
While they contained Brownlee, the Barangay’s resident import deferred to his teammates, leading to two big treys from the Clark Bubble BPC that ultimately enabled the Kings to eke out the 101-91 victory and the 3-2 series lead.
Pringle drilled those shots in back-to-back fashion, the first of which came from the left corner with 2:01 left to play after receiving the quick extra dish of Scottie Thompson that came from Brownlee when he was doubled up top.
And when Brownlee got trapped again, he spotted Jamie Malonzo on the right corner, who drove inside but eventually kicked out to Pringle on the other corner for another triple off a fake to make it a 97-86 lead with 1:32 left.
Pringle went on to finish with 20 points on a total of six three-pointers off the bench, turning in his best scoring outing since dropping 25 in Ginebra’s 101-93 defeat to Phoenix Super LPG in the eliminations last October 25.
Goorjian could only tip his hat to the 35-year-old guard.
“We didn’t want Brownlee to be this, he had 37 points so we doubled him and I thought we did a great job rotating — and their clutch kid from the corner won,” he said moments after the match at the Mall of Asia Arena.
“But that was my call, I didn’t want Brownlee doing that. It’s like Michael Jordan. If you want somebody else who’s gonna beat you, make it Steve Kerr. And tonight, he was another one. Sensational. He hit that corner jump shot under pressure.
“He hit two. And that was really the difference,” he added.
And even with the defeat, Goorjian remained proud of the fight Bay Area showed despite missing two major pieces in Andrew Nicholson and top point guard Glen Yang, who are both nursing ankle injuries.
“I kept telling them, we’re certainly not gonna blow ’em out, we’re certain they have capabilities that they’re gonna go away in runs from us, but don’t look at the scoreboard and just keep playing until it’s finished,” he said.
“Every time I come to the bench, I point out the clock’s our friend, it’s still ticking. Don’t worry about the score, don’t worry about the crowd, keep playing. And they get right ’til the end,” added Goorjian.
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