JUSTIN Brownlee displayed uncanny outside shooting to lead Barangay Ginebra to a 122-105 win over San Miguel Beer Wednesday at the start of their PBA Governors Cup semifinals duel at the PhilSports Arena.
Brownlee scored a game-high 33 points, including 20 in the third period when the Kings started to really break the game wide open and eventually gain the headstart in the best-of-seven series.
"I thought we played a really good first half, but I knew we needed to play an even better second half and that was the (halftime) message," said Ginebra coach Tim Cone.
"We were playing in the rhythm that we wanted to play and then this guy (Brownlee)... he came out and hit shot after shot after shot that really extended the lead for us."
Making the three-time Best Import's performance more remarkable was the fact he boomed in his first five bombs from beyond the four-point arc, a distance from which he made just 13 of his first 47 tries in the tournament.
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"I just wanted to come out and be aggressive," said Brownlee, who missed his sixth attempt from beyond 27 feet but is now assured of the single-game record for most four-pointers in a game while also going 3-of-5 from the three-point line.
"It's something that teams in this league have taken advantage of," noted Brownlee of the four-point arc. "Me, myself, and Ginebra, we practice those shots so just keep on practicing and be better and better, be more comfortable taking them in the game."
Stephen Holt ably backstopped Brownlee with 30 points of his own while RJ Abarrientos wound up with 13 points, 11 coming in the second period that led Ginebra's charge to a 63-58 halftime lead.
Momentum swung in the Kings' favor for good when Brownlee, who already went 2-of-2 from 4s in the second period, splashed his third to make it a 79-65 count before adding two more to peg a 95-76 difference.
AJ Anosike had 27 points to pace SMB with Marcio Lassiter adding 18 points and June Mar Fajardo 16 points, as many rebounds and seven dimes.
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The Beermen, however, could not match the Kings' total 70-50 tear in the two middle quarters, enabling Cone's charges to take a 97-78 lead into the final period and stretch that to as much as 104-80. (NC)
The Scores :
GINEBRA 122 - Brownlee 33, Holt 30, Abarrientos 13, Thompson 10, Ahanmisi 9, J.Aguilar 9, Pinto 9, Devance 8, Adamos 1, Cu 0.
SAN MIGUEL 105 - Anosike 27, Lassiter 18, Fajardo 16, Perez 13, Ross 7, Rosales 6, Romeo 6, Enciso 6, Cruz 4, Tautuaa 2, Nava 0, Brondial 0.
QUARTERS : 27-28, 63-58, 97-78, 122-105
