It’s surprising, to say the least, seeing Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in such a dangerous spot right now.
The Gin Kings’ two-year reign in the PBA Governors’ Cup might be facing its end, as the crowd darlings are now down 0-2 to the Magnolia Hotshots in their best-of-five semifinal series.
Ginebra has gone to such position after absorbing a 97-101 heartbreaker in Game two, Monday night.
“It’s a tough game. Star came out very hard. They played an incredible game,” said import Justin Brownlee, who set the pace for Ginebra with 31 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists in the loss.
“They forced us to a lot of turnovers (23). They showed their scrappiness off,” the 30-year-old admitted.
“They’ve been doing it all conference. That’s what they are, and that’s who they are.”
This is an unfamiliar place for the Barangay – at least in this year’s season-ending tilt – considering that they finished the eliminations as the number one seed, 9-2, amid the string of injuries.
Moreover, the odds were in favor of Ginebra against the Hotshots in this semis affair, as they defeated Magnolia, 93-86, back in their elimination round meeting last October 28.
That particular win helped the Barangay sweep Magnolia in their season series.
But now, obviously, the tides have changed. So for the guard out of St. John’s University, Game Three this Wednesday at the Big Dome will be their only chance of survival.
“It’s now do-or-die mentality. We have to give out everything we have, do whatever we can to win,” said the 2018 Commissioner’s Cup Best Import awardee. “We just gotta figure it out.
“We definitely wanna have that attitude. But I think the more important thing is how we approach the game. We gotta know what we’re doing on offense and defense. We gotta be able to execute.”
