MANILA — Justin Brownlee knocked down a go-ahead basket as Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings pulled off a 102-100 escape over TNT Tropang 5G in Game 1 of the PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup Finals last night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
With the score tied at 100-all following a made triple by Tropang 5G’s Roger Pogoy, Brownlee attacked the defense of TNT import Chris McCullough before pulling up for a tough two-pointer with 0.06 seconds left.
The Tropang 5G, the reigning champions of the conference, still had a chance to send the game into overtime but Calvin Oftana failed to convert an alley-oop shot at the buzzer.
Brownlee finished with 23 points, eight assists, and three rebounds as the Gin Kings surged to a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven championship series.
Rhon Jay Abarrientos top-scored for Ginebra with 24 points, while Jeth Troy Rosario and Earl Scottie Thompson contributed 16 and 14 points, respectively.
After a slow start in the opening quarter, the Gin Kings leaned on its consecutive three-pointers to take a 30-25 lead before pushing it to 57-44 at the half following a triple from Thompson.
Ginebra went on to establish its largest lead at 18 points early in the third quarter but TNT banked on its defense to claw its way back and tie the score at 88-all on a four-pointer by Rey Nambatac.
The Tropang 5G went on to build a 95-90 edge before the Gin Kings countered with an inside hit from Rosario and a four-pointer from Abarrientos to regain a 96-95 edge with over a minute left.
The TNT still regained the lead at 97-96 on two free throws by Pogoy, but another four-pointer from Abarrientos surged Ginebra on top at 100-97 before Pogoy knotted the score at 100-all with a triple.
McCullough paced the Tropang 5G with 25 points, Pogoy and Nambatac added 22 and 19, respectively, while Oftana and Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser ended with 12 apiece in the loss./PN
BOX SCORE
GINEBRA 102 – Abarrientos 24, Brownlee 23, Rosario 16, Thompson 15, Cu 9, J.Aguilar 7, Gray 6, Torres2, Holt 0, Pinto 0, Go 0.
TNT 100 – McCullough 25, Pogoy 22, Nambatac 19, Ganuelas-Rosser 12, Oftana 12, Heading 5, Khobuntin 5, Castro 0, Aurin 0, Williams 0, Quitevis 0.
Quarterscores: 30-25, 57-44, 79-72,102-100.
