JUSTIN Brownlee shot the lights out as Barangay Ginebra drew first blood in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup finals with a 127-99 win over reigning champion San Miguel on Friday at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
Brownlee scored a game-high 42 points while making 17 of 19 shots in the emphatic victory that gave the Kings a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven finals series. The Ginebra import also converted all his five three-point attempts.
“It was just one of those nights where we had it and they didn’t,” said Ginebra coach Tim Cone, playing down the surprise rout. “We were firing on all cylinders, that got them on their heels early and we didn't let up.”
Game Two is scheduled on Sunday at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
Brownlee already had 29 points and only missed one shot by the first half as Ginebra opened a 69-50 lead. The Kings never looked back from there, even leading by as many as 39 points, 119-80, on an Aljon Mariano basket with six minutes left.
Brownlee also got plenty of support as Joe Devance had 20 points while Greg Slaughter and Mark Caguioa had 11 points apiece. Sol Mercado was the other Ginebra player in double figures with 10.
The Kings were so hot they made 51 of 83 from the field overall. In contrast, San Miguel converted only 39 of 100 shots.
Renaldo Balkman had 27 points and 13 rebounds while Christian Standhardinger added 26 points and eight rebounds for the outclassed Beermen.
The scores:
Ginebra 127 – Brownlee 42, Devance 20, Caguioa 11, Slaughter 11, Mercado 10, Tenorio 9, Thompson 7, Ferrer 7, Mariano 4, Chan 2, J. Aguilar 2, Cruz 2, Manuel 0, Caperal 0.
San Miguel 99 – Balkman 27, Standhardinger 26, Fajardo 13, Santos 8, Lassiter 6, Cabagnot 5, Nabong 5, Ross 4, Lanete 3, Ganuelas-Rosser 2, Pessumal 0.
Quarters: 35-20; 69-50; 94-75; 127-99.
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