JUSTIN Brownlee poured in a PBA career-high 51 points and Barangay Ginebra rebounded from a losing season debut with a 108-102 beating of San Miguel Beer in the PBA Governors’ Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024.
Brownlee himself presided over Ginebra’s 34-23 fourth-quarter onslaught capped by the champion import’s win-sealing layup as the Kings bounced back from a 67-73 loss to the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in a road game in Candon, Ilocos Sur Saturday.
Japeth Aguilar contributed 21 points, while rookie RJ Abarrientos chipped in 13, including 11 in the first half, as the Kings beat the Beermen in a well-fought battle and handed SMB its first loss in three starts.
Brownlee redeemed himself bigtime from a flat performance in Candon, coming through with a productive outing also marked by 13 rebounds, six steals, and five assists.
He had had 16 points and eight rebounds in the first half, then stepped up harder from the halftime break, pouring in 19 with two-of-three triples in the third canto.
Even then the Beermen seized the lead, 79-74, at the end of the third quarter with Jeron Teng and Terrence Romeo leading the SMB charge.
But there’s no stopping Brownlee and the Kings from turning things around in the payoff period.
Jordan Adams was good for 15 in the first half but finished with just 23. June Mar Fajardo (17), CJ Perez (14), Romeo (13), and Teng (12) contributed double-digit outputs for the Beermen.
It was a battle with the two teams fighting to a 24-all deadlock in the first quarter and to a 46-all logjam at the half.
The Beermen surged ahead in the third with Teng firing 12 and Romeo adding seven and the whole SMB team hitting at a high 66-percent field clip as against Ginebra’s 47.4 percent.
But then came Ginebra’s counter assault in the fourth.
The Scores:
GINEBRA 108 - Brownlee 51, J.Aguilar 21, Abarrientos 13, Thompson 7, Holt 5, Ahanmisi 4, Go 4, Tenorio 3, Cu 0, Adamos 0, Garcia 0.
SAN MIGUEL 102 - Adams 23, Fajardo 17, Perez 14, Romeo 13, Teng 12, Ross 5, Rosales 4, Trollano 4, Cruz 4, Manuel 4, Tautuaa 2, Lassiter 0.
QUARTERS: 24-24, 46-46, 74-79, 108-102. / PBA.PH