PHNOM PENH, Cambodia – Justin Brownlee struggled on Thursday against Cambodia due to a case of dehydration and cramps as humid conditions slowed down the Gilas Pilipinas naturalized player at the 32nd Southeast Asian Games.
Brownlee went scoreless in the first half before he eventually finished with 10 points on 3-of-13 shooting from the field in Gilas’ 79-68 loss to Cambodia at the Morodok Techo Elephant Hall 2.
READ: Gilas fumes over Cambodia coach's late timeout, antics
“I thought this was a terrible first half for us,” said Gilas coach Chot Reyes. “You saw what happened. Brownlee couldn’t move, [he was] severely dehydrated. The heat really got to him.”
The Barangay Ginebra resident import finally got going in the third, but it was short lived.
Gilas utility staff were seen trying their best to keep Brownlee comfortable by putting ice on his head, back, and his legs. They even put an electric fan infront of him on the bench to help him recover.
“But later on, medyo bumubuti nang konti. But then, he was cramping up already. He just lost so much fluid, too much fluid. So that’s something that we can learn from, then move on,” said Reyes.
Reyes admitted that Brownlee’s condition will be a concern as they continue to play in the oven-hot venue.
“It’s definitely a concern because in his words, he feels smothered. Hindi siya makahinga so that’s a real problem," he said. "That’s why we were down in the first half. I don’t think he scored right? When will you ever see Justin go scoreless in one half?”
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