Author: Martin Dale D. Bolima
Photo Credit: PBA
Justin Brownlee is two wins away from another PBA Governors’ Cup finals appearance, and he has plenty to do with that.
Brownlee led the way again in Game 3 of Ginebra’s semis clash against the San Miguel Beermen, posting a monstrous stat line of 30 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and 5 blocks.
In other words, it was just another day in the office for the beloved ka-Barangay, who shot only 12-for-26 from the field and did not make a single long bomb. Yet he impacted Game 3 as he always seems to do, hitting timely buckets in the paint in the endgame and also playing some lockdown defense.
Stepping Up Is Nothing New for Justin Brownlee
For Ginebra coach Tim Cone, such is par the course for his super import, whom he praised for rising up in the big moments—seemingly like clockwork.
“Justin really has a way of picking his spots and making big plays offensively, and he has the same ability defensively. It just seems to happen always in big moments,” Cone gushed to reporters after Game 3. “He’s just a big moment guy. That’s his history. That’s the way he’s been. He’s just been incredibly consistent with it through the years, and that’s what makes him who he is.
Brownlee, of course, has had quite the decorated history ever since he first donned the red, white, and black colors of Ginebra in 2016. His list of big-time moments goes long, starting obviously with his buzzer-beating championship-clinching triple against the Meralco Bolts in the 2016 PBA Governors’ Cup finals to give the Barangay their first championship after an eight-year drought.