Barangay Ginebra San Miguel may be heading to the PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals, but Tim Cone and the rest of the barangay are likely holding their collective breath. That’s because Justin Brownlee left early in Ginebra’s 112-81 win over the Phoenix Fuel Masters due to what appears to be a hamstring issue.
With Ginebra up big in the third, Brownlee drove to the basket past the eight-minute mark, dished the rock to Japeth Aguilar in the corner, and came up slightly wincing and hobbling along the baseline as he clutched his right hamstring. He exited the game immediately and proceeded to the locker room. He never returned.
After the game, Cone acknowledged there’s a level of concern with Brownlee’s situation.
“The concern right now is where Justin is. I haven’t had a chance to go in the locker room and find out anything, but that’s the concern,” he admitted. “We may have won the battle, but we certainly don’t want to lose the war by losing Justin at this point.”
Brownlee Says It’s Just ‘a Little Tweak’
Brownlee later allayed fears of a serious injury, but it appears only time will tell if he’ll be 100%—or close to it—when the semis start. That’s because, for all his assurances, he still “felt something.”
“I just had a little tweak,” Brownlee told reporters. “On that play, driving to the rim, I just felt something… Hopefully it ain’t too bad, but just felt a little something.”
That “little something” is not exactly the most encouraging assessment. A tweak in the hamstring, no matter how “little,” is still a cause for concern—especially given Brownlee’s usage rate, his age, and the ramped-up intensity of the playoffs. That’s not to mention the speed and ferocity of the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, who will surely try to test that tweaked hamstring right from the get-go.
As of this writing, there’s still no official word on Brownlee’s condition. But if he’s hurt, then Cone’s fear might just be justified.
