HANGZHOU – Justin Brownlee and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson will have their rematch on a bigger stage and with a higher stake.
Brownlee-Hollis-Jefferson rivalry renewed
All eyes will be on the two PBA Best Imports when Gilas Pilipinas and Jordan clash for all the marbles in the 19th Asian Games on Friday at the Hangzhou Olympic Centre.
The Philippines is looking to win its first Asiad gold in the last 61 years, while Jordan eyes a breakthrough title in the 8 p.m. encounter.
And both Brownlee and Hollis-Jefferson are expected to play a huge part in it.
The two, who prominently battled each other during the last Governors Cup championship which Hollis-Jefferson and TNT Tropang Giga won over Brownlee and Barangay Ginebra, had come up big for their respective countries on the way to the gold medal match.
The 28-year-old Hollis-Jefferson, a former NBA player, has been a key component in Jordan’s undefeated run to the finals behind a 5-0 slate, including an 87-62 trampling of Gilas in the preliminary.
Asked if he has any message for Hollis-Jefferson leading to the winner-take-all match, national coach Tim Cone would rather not ruffle the feathers.
“Let sleeping dogs lie. We don’t want to fire him up,” said Cone of Hollis-Jefferson, a product of NCAA power University of Arizona.
“He’s just a great player, he’s awesome.”
Awesome probably will be an understatement to the 35-year-old Brownlee, especially with the way he’s been balling in the playoffs of the continental showpiece.
The Barangay Ginebra import lifted Gilas to an 84-83 win over Iran in the quarterfinals, his game-winning floater in the dying seconds saving the Philippines from what could have been an embarrassing loss after leading by as many as 21 points early in the third period.
But Brownlee was even more spectacular against China in a game that saw him scored the last eight points for Gilas, including the back-to-back three-point bombs inside the final 75 seconds to complete a miracle comeback, 77-76, after trailing by 20 in the second half.
He averaged 34.5 points in Gilas’ last two games.
“If you have not seen him play, this is the way he plays back in the Philippines when he’s with us,” said Cone in introducing Gilas’ prized player to the international press during the post-game interview following the win over China.
“He’s been my player for seven years and this is the kind of player that he is. “He’s a very clutch player, he makes big shots all the time. He did it against Iran and he did it again against the host country.”
Will Brownlee do it against Jordan? Not if Hollis-Jefferson can’t help it.
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