MANILA, Philippines – For the first time since 2019, Barangay Ginebra’s resident import Justin Brownlee took the finisher’s position over longtime rivals Allen Durham and the Meralco Bolts.

Friday at Ninoy Aquino Stadium, Brownlee scored ten crucial points in the fourth quarter to lead the Gin Kings to a 99-92 victory and a 1-0 lead over the Bolts in the PBA Governors’ Cup best-of-five quarterfinal series.

With 29 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists, and three steals in the first quarter of their fourth meeting since their thrilling meetings in the Governors’ Cup finals in 2016, 2017, and 2019, Brownlee prevailed.

Cliff Hodge (23) and Chris Newsome (20) took home the Meralco scoring titles from Durham, who finished with 17 markers and 13 boards after defeating Brownlee for Best Import honors.

When Ginebra took a 66-51 lead midway through the third quarter, it seemed like they were going to win handily. However, Durham and Company answered with a 20-8 final flurry to cut the lead to 71-73, and at 9:03 in the fourth, they took the lead 78-77.

Subsequently, Brownlee oversaw a 22-14 shutout to complete the victory for the Gin Kings, who are still getting used to postseason basketball as a team despite pre-season additions like freshman RJ Abarrientos and Stephen Holt.

Being the first time both teams had encountered this season, Ginebra’s showdown versus Meralco in the current PBA conference presented a special challenge. Tim Cone, the head coach of Ginebra, stated that the group was still getting used to Meralco’s tactics and style of play. It was a period of familiarization for both sides since key players like Stephen, RJ, and Justin Brownlee had never played in the playoffs against Meralco’s coaching staff, which included head coach Luigi Trillo and consultant Nenad Vučinić.

As each team tried to force their style of play on the other, the game turned into a tactical struggle. Though Ginebra won in the end, Cone stressed that the game was closely contested and that the team’s ability to produce big plays at crucial times was crucial. Ginebra’s victory was sealed by Justin Brownlee’s outstanding final-quarter play, which tipped the scales in the team’s favor. Despite their victory, things may have turned out differently because both teams played with excellent execution the entire time. Ginebra’s triumph demonstrated their tenacity and capacity to execute well under duress throughout critical parts of the game.

Using his all-around abilities, Scottie Thompson scored 19 points, pulled down five boards, and dished out five assists to help Ginebra win. Star import Justin Brownlee also received invaluable backing from Jamie Malonzo and Japeth Aguilar. Aguilar contributed 10 points and Malonzo added 14 points, both of whom played crucial complimentary roles in balancing the team’s offensive efforts.

Justin Brownlee, characterizing Meralco as a disciplined and resilient team, acknowledged the challenge that they presented. Whether they were ahead or behind, he emphasized their ability to keep a steady tempo and saw how their variety of defensive tactics kept Ginebra on its toes the whole game. Ginebra overcame Meralco’s relentless defensive pressure thanks in large part to their cohesive play and the timely contributions of Thompson, Malonzo, and Aguilar, despite the challenging opposition. With the help of his teammates, Brownlee’s performance proved to be crucial in securing the hard-fought victory, demonstrating Ginebra’s capacity to rise to the challenge when facing tough opponents.

Ginebra has frequently faced difficult obstacles over the years from Meralco, a group renowned for its potent play. The main players and coaching staff of Ginebra have observed from previous meetings that Meralco delivers a high degree of intensity to every game. Meralco has continuously produced elite performances, providing Ginebra with strong competition.

Scores at the end of the match

GINEBRA 99 points

Individual Scores: Brownlee 29, Thompson 19, Holt 14, J.Aguilar 10, Cu 9, Abarrientos 8, Ahanmisi 8, Devance 2, R. Aguilar 0.

MERALCO 92 points

Individual Scores: Hodge 23, Newsome 20, Durham 17, Banchero 11, Quinto 10, Caram 6, Almazan 5, Rios 0, Mendoza 0, Bates 0, Cansino 0, Jose 0.

Scores per quarter

28-24, 53-43, 73-71, 99-92.