SAN Miguel coach Jorge Gallent had a perplexing moment during a critical juncture in the final minutes of the PBA Governors’ Cup semifinals on Sunday against Barangay Ginebra.
The situation in question came after a jumpball was ruled following the successful coaches’ challenge by San Miguel with the Beermen down, 99-98. The Beermen had challenged a foul called against EJ Anosike while going for a steal against Justin Brownlee.
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The Gin Kings won the tip and made the most out of the ensuing possession as Brownlee knocked down a three-pointer with 1:47 minutes left that gave Ginebra the cushion on the way to a 102-98 victory.
Gallent said he does not have any beef about the final result of Game Six, but he has a problem with the shot-clock situation that ensued after his sucessful challenge.
“Shotclock is five seconds. It shouldn’t have been 5.6. When we get the ball, 24 (seconds). They get the ball, five,” said Gallent in a very brief chat with reporters after Game Six.
“Doon ‘yung tres ni Brownlee,” Gallent said, hinting that the extra .6 second gave the import enough time to convert the game's biggest basket.
Other than that observation, Gallent had nothing more to say to reporters about the loss which effectively ended San Miguel's title-retention bid.
The Beermen looked as though they had the Gin KIngs figured out as they led, 23-13, at one point in the first quarter. The two teams fought evenly in the next two quarters but Ginebra eventually had the bigger moments and took a 76-75 lead entering the final canto.
It was a one-point situation and still anybody's game until Brownlee connected with his three pointer.
That forced SMB to go for the four-point shot. Anosike and Jericho Cruz each took an attempt to tie the game but missed both shots.
Curiously, Terrence Romeo, one of SMB's heroes in Game Two who scored 26 points, played only seven minutes in Game Six, his lowest playing time in this playoffs. He missed all his three attempts.
SMB still winless vs Brownlee
The result meant San Miguel is still winless in a series against a Justin Brownlee-led Ginebra totalling six that included the 2018 Commissioner’s Cup finals.
“Ginebra is a tough team," said San Miguel star CJ Perez after Game Six. "Sobrang disiplina nila. Maganda ang depensa nila. Kami naman, we just need to move on and get better."
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