Justin Brownlee had his finest game so far in the 2019 PBA Governors’ Cup semifinals Wednesday evening.
The former Best Import erupted for 41 points on 53.6-percent shooting from the field, and also collected 11 rebounds, seven assists, three steals, and three blocks to power Ginebra to a 132-105 Game Three victory over NorthPort.
His scoring output exceeded his first two games combined, as he only had 39 markers.
But ever selfless, Brownlee still deflected the credit to the whole team even if he was a huge reason behind the win.
“Just another great effort from my team today, just all around,” he said moments after the match at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
“We really executed the game plan. Just like in Game Two, we came out with a similar game plan.”
The win put Ginebra up 2-1 in the best-of-five series, which moves the Kings from just one win away from the Finals.
For Brownlee, heading to the Big Dance is the Barangay’s main goal this season-ending conference, especially after seeing their two-year reign end in the hands of eventual champions Magnolia Hotshots last season.
Add to that the fact that Ginebra hasn’t played in the Finals since the 2018 Commissioner’s Cup, which it won.
“That’s our main goal for this conference. It’s been over a year since we’ve been in the Finals. Coach was preaching that to us. Everybody wants to feel that, playing in the finals, having the opportunity to win a championship,” he said.
“Getting there just feels great. We just want to feel that and hopefully, we have a greater feeling after the Finals.”
And so the three-time PBA champion vowed that they will do everything come Game Four to reach that goal.
“We’ll do whatever we got to do to just come away with the win,” Brownlee said. “We’re not trying to blow a team out, we just try to play well, execute; just try to come out with a good rhythm; and just do whatever we can.
“We know their guys are going to come out and play hard, they don’t want to be eliminated. We got to expect them to just put it all on the line with their backs against the wall. We’ll just do whatever we can.”
