GINEBRA OUTDUELS TNT IN GAME 5 DOGFIGHT, MOVES A WIN FROM PBA TITLE

SCOTTIE Thompson and Justin Brownlee made crucial plays in the endgame as Barangay Ginebra wrested the lead in the PBA 49th Season Commissioner’s Cup Finals for the first time by defeating TNT in Game 5, 73-66, on Sunday night.

Thompson carried the load during a decisive 8-0 finishing kick that also saw Brownlee come to life just in time for the Gin Kings, who overhauled a 10-point halftime lead to claim a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven title series.

READ Chot Reyes, Poy Erram get into heated argument in Game Five

By winning its second consecutive game of the finals, Ginebra moved one win away from beating TNT in the finals for the first time in its last three tries, going to Game 6 on Wednesday, also at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.

Thompson clustered six straight points that put the Gin Kings ahead, 69-66, before Brownlee, who only made one field goal in the first half, took over by making two consecutive baskets to put the win to bed.

PHOTO: Mark Cristino

Despite a cold start, Bronwlee still topscored for Ginebra with 18 points, while Thompson added 16 in a game witnessed by a crowd of 12,447 screaming fans, mostly for the Gin Kings side, at the historic Big Dome.

The Gin Kings won after overhauling a 45-35 halftime deficit against a TNT side that once again descended into chaos when coach Chot Reyes and big man Poy Erram figured in a heated argument during a third-quarter timeout huddle.

2025-03-23T14:10:56Z