Vic Manuel didn’t have many technical things to say regarding his Alaska Aces’ 101-109 loss to the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel on Sunday night, which ended their three-game winning streak in the 2018 Governors’ Cup.
For him, the Milkmen lost because of one man: Justin Brownlee.
The 6-foot-5 import torched the Aces by scoring 45 points – just a point shy of his PBA career-high – on 19-of-33 shooting. Brownlee was just an assist shy of achieving a rare triple-double, as he also had 11 rebounds and nine dimes. Eleven of the 2018 Commissioner’s Cup Best Import’s points came in the final 2:51 of the contest, where he helped the Gin Kings turn their slim three-point cushion into a favorable nine-point lead, 107-98, with over 39 seconds left.
“Hindi namin na-maintain si Brownlee. Talaga nakaka-score siya e, hindi namin siya na-limit. Ayun yung naging problema namin siguro kasi yung ibang import na nakalaban namin, talagang na-limit namin,” said Manuel, who himself is a hulking 6-foot-4, 231-pound cager.
“Ginawa ni Brownlee ngayon 45 points, yun yung naging problema namin.”
Manuel, a six-year pro, had been the one guarding Brownlee for the majority of the match as they both play the four spot, and the former admitted that staying in front of someone like Brownlee – who pretty much does everything – is a tedious task.
“Sobrang hirap bantayan nun kasi napakagaling talaga eh. May tira sa labas, atake, may post. Best Import talaga eh, kaya saludo ako sa kaniya. Hirap niyang bantayan. Kaya niyang gumawa ng paraan eh. Iiskor at iiskor talaga,” admitted Manuel, who had 28 points and four rebounds in the game.
“Sobra, nahirapan ako. Napagod nga ako eh.”
As for him personally, Manuel has seemingly returned to his old ways, as he led Alaska with 28 points. But that doesn’t matter for him, as it went for naught in the stinging defeat to the defending champs.
“Kung kailan maganda laro ko, natalo kami. Sabi ko nga, hindi baleng mababa yung points ko basta panalo kami kaso ayun, natalo,” rued the 31-year-old Nueva Ecija-native. “Ang hirap din kasi talaga kalaban ng Ginebra kasi sila yung defending champion diba.
“Talagang grabe din yung ginagawa nila kaya nahirapan kami.”
