JUSTIN Brownlee playing through a dislocated thumb was the biggest story line of Game 4 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup finals.
Doubtful for Friday’s game at the Ynares Center in Antipolo, the 36-year-old import went through with business as if nothing was wrong with his shooting hand in leading Barangay Ginebra to a 95-78 win over TNT.
READ: Heroic Brownlee performance inspires Ginebra to finals-tying win
His right thumb heavily bandaged after dislocating it the previous game at the Philsports Arena, Brownlee remained in his element and produced his usual numbers of 23 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists, allowing the Kings to tie the finals at 2-2 and reduce it to a best-of-three series.
Game 5 will be played on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. And while the status of the prolific import remains day-to-day as per coach Tim Cone, Brownlee admitted he seemed to have finally adjusted playing with a dislocated finger and possibly, well enough to play until the end of the series.
READ: Brownlee dead set on playing through thumb injury for Game 5 and onwards
Here are the takeaways in the tense-filled Game 4 of the finals at the Antipolo venue.
1.INJURED BROWNLEE ADDS TO GINEBRA NEVER-SAY-DIE LORE
The beloved import putting everything on the line despite a dislocated right thumb is definitely ranked up there with Robert Jaworski’s fabled 1985 heroics.
The legendary playing-coach returned from the hospital with seven stitches on his busted lip courtesy of a wayward elbow by Northern Consolidated forward Jeff Moore to rally Ginebra past the national men’s basketball team during the Reinforced Conference.
That single gallant act saw the birth of Ginebra’s Never-Say-Die spirit, a tradition whose fire keeps burning 40 years after, thanks mainly to Brownlee’s courageous play.
2.GAME 4 IS TURNING POINT OF THE SERIES
Whoever emerged champion in the mid-season conference will always have Game 4 as the watershed of the title series.
The Kings definitely rode on the momentum of Brownlee playing through a major injury to pull off the decisive 17-point victory and tie the series at 2-2 as it gave them enough confidence of winning the title even with their well-loved import nursing an injury.
And TNT? The Tropang Giga can also look back at the Game 4 loss as added drive to play even better against an opponent already playing with a huge handicap.
3.RHJ FAILED TO LIVE UP TO BEST IMPORT AWARD ON THIS NIGHT
The prolific TNT reinforcement was rewarded with his third Best Import plum just moments before the start of Game 4. Unfortunately, the former NBA player wasn’t at his best in the 45 minutes that he played.
He finished with only 14 points – his lowest output in the finals after averaging 23.2 points in the first three games of the series – on 5-of-18 shooting (27 percent) from the field.
Obviously, Brownlee was the better import in Game 4 on the same game day where Rondae’s mother, Rylanda Hollis-Jefferson got to watch his son play live for the first time. She arrived in the country on the morning of the game.
4.KIM AURIN STRUGGLING IN SECOND FINALS APPEARANCE
The shooting guard out of University of Perpetual Help has not been the same player that helped TNT win the Governors’ Cup championship the previous conference. So far in four games, Aurin shot 2-of-19 from the field and averaged 2.5 points.
While not exactly known for his defense, the former Barangay Ginebra 3x3 player is expected to light up the scoring for the Tropang Giga as part of their bench mob the way he did in the season-opening title series.
The transition to have him play as backup point guard – with Jayson Castro out for the rest of the season – could have something to do with it, further exposing the weak backcourt TNT has with only Rey Nambatac serving as it major player at the point. The team’s other playmakers are Brian Heruela and rookie Jielo Razon.
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