PAIN NO BARRIER AS BROWNLEE FINDS WAYS TO WIN FOR GINEBRA

BARANGAY Ginebra coach Tim Cone admitted Justin Brownlee’s early struggles in Game 5 can be attributed to his hurting thumb.

Brownlee only hit 1 of his 5 shots in the first half on Sunday, but came back to hit key baskets late in the 73-66 victory over TNT. He finished with 18 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, and a steal as the Gin Kings took a 3-2 lead in the title series.

"We all knew from our side that Justin was struggling a little bit more with his hand today than he was in the last game," said Cone, referring to Brownlee’s Game 4 where he scored 23 points just two days after he sustained a dislocated right thumb.

"I think everybody had to learn how to step up," said Cone.

Scottie Thompson was the player that did, churning out 16 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, two steals, and one block.

Brownlee still managed to make an impact late in the match, hitting consecutive baskets to settle the final score. But it was obvious to Cone that, at least early in the match, Brownlee was feeling the injury more than ever.

"He made some uncharacteristic turnovers when the ball was slipping out of his hands. It was like he was afraid to grab the ball," said Cone.

"It’s something that he is managing as we go. When you first get an injury, it hurts a lot, and then usually, it takes a day or two, then you really start to feel the injury after a day or two. I think that’s basically what happened," Cone said.

The Gin Kings will try to close the series on Wednesday at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum, where Cone is hoping that Brownlee’s injury won’t hurt as much.

"Hopefully, given another couple of days, he can recover that a little bit and be a little stronger with that thumb. But he is playing magnificently despite that, and that’s what really is amazing at this point."

2025-03-24T08:11:08Z