MANILA — Justin Brownlee delivered a dominant second-half explosion to power Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings to a hard-fought 99-93 comeback victory over Converge FiberXers in the Philippine Basketball Association Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup Sunday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Shaking off a dismal first half, Brownlee erupted in the final two quarters to finish with 33 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists, anchoring Ginebra’s fightback as the Gin Kings climbed to a 2-1 win-loss slate.
Rhon Jay Abarrientos provided a massive boost with a conference-high 32 points, alongside four assists and three rebounds, while Jeth Troy Rosario added a double-double of 10 points and 13 boards.
Trailing by as many as 10 early in the third quarter, Ginebra flipped the game behind back-to-back hits from Brownlee and Abarrientos, complemented by timely triples from Nard John Pinto to seize an 81-74 advantage.
Converge refused to fold and surged back to grab a 93-92 lead, but Ginebra held its nerve down the stretch as Rosario and Abarrientos knocked down crucial free throws before Brownlee delivered the go-ahead basket that sealed the win.
Justine Baltazar paced the FiberXers with 20 points, while Mikey Williams and MJ Garcia added 16 and 15, respectively. Kylor Kelley also registered a double-double of 13 points and 15 rebounds as Converge dropped to a 1-4 record.
In the other game, the Meralco Bolts bounced back in emphatic fashion, overpowering the Titan Ultra Giant Risers, 118-105.
Crispin John “CJ” Cansino led Meralco with 26 points as the Bolts improved to 3-1 following their previous loss to the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters.
Marvin Jones posted a double-double of 24 points and 14 rebounds, Kier John Quinto chipped in 15 markers, while Jason Brickman and Javee Mocon added 13 and 11, respectively.
Ilonggo John Bryan Sajonia turned in a career-high 29 points for the Giant Risers, while Michael Gilmore tallied a double-double of 25 points and 16 rebounds as they slipped to a 1-3 slate./PN
