JUSTIN Brownlee bared his single-minded intention to dunk the ball during a critical juncture in what coach Tim Cone later described as the "play of the game."
Brownlee fell just an assist short of a near triple-double when he finished with 36 points, 13 rebounds, and nine assists as Barangay Ginebra defeated Meralco, 99-93, on Friday night to level the PBA Governors' Cup Finals at 1-1.
But what the Ginebra fans will remember more was the steal and dunk he executed late in Game Two with the Bolts trailing by only three points and threatening to complete a comeback from a 20-point deficit.
Brownlee wouldn't let it happen
Brownlee grabbed the ball away from Meralco point guard Chris Banchero. Not exactly known as a high-flyer, the Ginebra import then threw down the dunk with two hands with 1:22 left to build the Gin Kings' lead back to 96-91.
Most of the 12,248 spectators inside the Mall of Asia Arena went wild, and that was exactly the energy that Brownlee was looking for.
“Any type of play like that, Scottie [Thompson] had that big rebound, and that play I had, I think those type of plays especially when the crowd gets into it, it just gives us an extra lift. We weren’t playing a good rhythm throughout the stretch of the fourth and plays like that gives us a big lift,” said Brownlee.
Brownlee’s performance made up for a spotty Game One where he scored 27 points but only shot 7-of-20 from the field - his lowest output of the conference.
On Friday, he shot 12-of-18 from the field.
Ginebra coach Cone said it was big plays like Brownlee's steal and dunk and Thompson's big rebound in the endgame that will sway this series, one way or the other.
“We had to make some great plays. Justin, the steal on Banchero, was probably the play of the game. But we had to make some spectacular plays down the stretch,” said the Ginebra coach.
“That’s how the series is going to be. Tonight, it was our night. It was theirs last night. We can use that break to recover and then comeback on Sunday and put in another big game,” said Cone.
“Game Threes are always telling," he added. "It’s going to tell which direction it is going to go."
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph