JUSTIN Brownlee collected 47 points in closeout Game Four as Barangay Ginebra earned a trip back to the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals with a 112-93 victory over NLEX on Wednesday at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
Brownlee's playoff career high helped the Gin Kings overhaul an early deficit as they finally finished off the best-of-five playoff after letting a Game 3 win - and a sweep of NLEX - slip away with late lapses on Sunday.
Annual passage
Ginebra will appear in the Governors’ Cup Finals for the fourth time over the last five seasons against either Meralco or Magnolia, which go into Game Four of their own semifinal series with the Bolts ahead, 2-1.
The resident Ginebra import's output was his third highest in the local league and his most since hitting a career-high 50 in against Columbian Dyip on July 14 in a 127-123 overtime victory in the 2019 Commissioner's Cup.
“Life is a lot easier when you have Justin Brownlee around,” said Barangay Ginebra coach Tim Cone. “What a phenomenal, phenomenal performance that was by Justin. I’m amazed by it.”
Jeff Chan also played big for the league's most popular team by scoring 20 points, nine of which came in the first 12 minutes when Ginebra overcame an early 12-3 deficit to tie the game at 22 by the end of the quarter.
It was mostly all Brownlee from there.
He had 18 points in the second quarter to end up with 26 at the half, then had 11 in the third to help the Gin Kings outscore the Road Warriors, 31-21, in that stretch.
Brownlee then hit the insurance treys late in the fourth to the delight of the fans who still came in droves despite the early afternoon tip-off.
LA Tenorio had 14 points to bounce back from the blunder he made in Game Three, while Nards Pinto added 12 in the contest.
The loss ended NLEX’s campaign after coming into the playoffs as the No. 2 seed.
Cameron Clark had 34 points and 12 rebounds, while Don Trollano had 15 points, but Kevin Alas was limited to only six in Game Four.
The scores:
Barangay Ginebra 112 – Brownlee 47, Chan 20, Tenorio 14, Pinto 12, Standhardinger 10, Thompson 4, Tolentino 3, Devance 2, R. Aguilar 0.
NLEX 93 – Clark 34, Trollano 15, Chua 10, Paniamogan 9, Alas 6, Rosales 5, Ighalo 5, Soyud 4, Semerad 3, Quinahan 2, Miranda 0.
Quarters: 22-22; 53-50; 84-71; 112-93.
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