BARANGAY Ginebra is surprisingly flourishing even without Justin Brownlee as its title hopes in the PBA 50th Season Governors’ Cup remain very much alive, putting the Gin Kings in a position to achieve a feat not done in nearly two decades.
With the help of Jordan Murphy, the Gin Kings avoided a collapse from a 2-0 lead when they finally put San Miguel away, 110-94, in Game 5 of the best-of-five quarterfinal series to extend their season even after a shaky start to the conference.
Murphy had a big night in the winner-take-all Game 5, logging 31 points, 11 rebounds, and two blocks while shooting 8-of-14 from the field and 15-of-16 from the free throw line.
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Early in the conference, Ginebra looked doomed after receiving the bad news that it lost resident import Brownlee due to injuries and health issues, just weeks after the Gin Kings won the Commissioner’s Cup title with Brownlee.
The Gin Kings got off to a 2-4 win-loss start with Riley Grigsby as Brownlee's replacement, but have since turned things around upon the arrival of Murphy.
The former University of Minnesota standout was exactly what the doctor ordered for Ginebra as his interior presence brought the Gin Kings out of that early slump to the semifinals where they will be facing TNT, a perennial finals opponent including in the recent Commissioner’s Cup.
With Murphy, Ginebra has an opportunity to still enjoy a successful conference even without Brownlee, who has won seven PBA championships as the resident import - four in the Governors’ Cup and three in the Commissioner’s Cup.
Ginebra hasn’t been as successful in conferences that Brownlee missed. Remember the 2018 PBA Commissioner’s Cup when Brownlee took over from Charles Garcia to win his first title of that conference with tall imports?
When Brownlee was out due to a positive doping test at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, the Gin Kings failed to win a championship with Tony Bishop at the helm.
The last time Barangay Ginebra won a championship with an import not named Brownlee was in the 2008 Fiesta Conference when Chris Alexander led the Gin Kings to a Game 7 win over Air21.
Murphy can end that drought in this conference.
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