Justin Brownlee delivered one of the most courageous performances of his PBA career, leading Barangay Ginebra to a crucial 95-78 victory over TNT in Game 4 of the Commissioner’s Cup Finals at the Ynares Center on Friday night.
Despite playing with a dislocated right thumb that cast doubt on his availability, Brownlee fought through the injury to score 23 points with his compromised shooting hand while also grabbing 12 rebounds, helping Ginebra even the series.
Jamie Malonzo, Japeth Aguilar, and Maverick Ahanmisi stepped up and delivered their strongest performances of the series, following Brownlee’s lead to help the Gin Kings stave off a 1-3 deficit in the thrilling best-of-seven matchup.
“He is such a warrior,” said Ginebra coach Tim Cone, expressing admiration for Brownlee’s outstanding Game 4 performance.
Game 5 is scheduled for Sunday at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
Brownlee started strong, making 6 of his 7 field goal attempts in the first half to help the Gin Kings take a 53-49 lead.
Later, with 5:01 left in the fourth quarter, he nailed a buzzer-beater as part of an 11-0 run that extended Ginebra’s advantage to 89-76.