CHICAGO - Up 54-39 with 3:22 left before halftime, Ginebra was jogging its way to what appeared to be a comfortable Game 5 win and a 3-2 series lead over Talk N' Text in the PBA Governor's Cup Finals.
And then all hell broke loose.
A demonstrably unwell Justin Brownlee, dealing with diarrhea before tip-off and seen vomiting on the bench during the game, exited the contest at the 7:19 mark of the third quarter.
He did not make a valiant return.
READ: Brownlee taken to hospital due to 'severe' food poisoning
With Brownlee out, the Tropang GIGA, emboldened by the absence of arguably the best import to ever play in Philippine soil, gave the Gin Kings a dose of their own medicine by putting together a come-from-behind 104-95 victory.
With no less than Manny V. Pangilinan cheering from the stands, TNT meandered a game closer toward clinching this championship series.
Will the telephone giant dial up another title in Game Six?
Or, will there be a Game Seven?
But the more pressing question becomes, what happened to JB?
A CASE OF "SEVERE" FOOD POISONING, ACCORDING TO GINEBRA COACH TIM CONE.
In the interest of full disclosure, Cone has no medical degree so it's possible Justin could be suffering from a stomach flu, which manifests the same symptoms as food poisoning.
Either way, Ginebra has an obligation to inform the public about the status of Brownlee, especially to those 10,070 paying customers who left the Smart Araneta Colisuem feeling short-changed that they paid full price for a ticket where the event's main attraction left early.
Giving a medical update will also placate the extremely worried Never Say Die Nation who now fear, and rightfully so, that Brownlee's health issues may ultimately flush their title hopes down the toilet.
Transparency hasn't always been the PBA's strongest suit, but I hope Ginebra embraces clarity and openness here.
Keeping the in-house approach will create an atmosphere where sinister conspiracy theories will grow.
As it is right now, there are suspicious minds.
Why did Brownlee log 25 minutes and 24 seconds of action if he was really ill to the point of requiring hospitalization? Didn't the Gin Kings put him at greater risk by putting him out there as he expelled much-needed fluids?
A FORMER PBA HEAD COACH WHO SPOKE ON THE CONDITION OF ANONYMITY told me that managing a player dealing with food poisoning is tricky. It's one of those things where a player either sits the game completely or manages through it the entire game.
Symptoms usually persist but in the case of Brownlee, said symptoms seemed to have disappeared or abated in the first half, allowing Justin to play, only to return in the third quarter where he eventually departed Game Five for good.
Perhaps, the Gin Kings medical team can enlighten the public about this and ease the concerns it has about their dear "kabayan."
Also, as reported by SPIN.ph, Brownlee had already been vomiting hours before the game. If so, given today's advances in modern medicine, isn't it a bit mystifying that Justin's condition wasn't addressed in a way that would have allowed him to stay in the game in spurts while getting hydrated and taking bathroom breaks?
In light of the game-fixing controversy that recently rocked the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) plus the increasing warm climate for sports betting in our country, it is imperative for Ginebra to clear the air and distance themselves from any cloud of malfeasance.
It's only fair to the fans.
And to Talk N' Text, whose scintillating Game Five triumph was overshadowed by Brownlee's malady and minimized by unfair talks of an allegedly "cooked" series.
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