Justin Brownlee scored a career-high 49 points as the Barangay Ginebra Kings cruised past the Magnolia Hotshots, 102-81, in the 2019 PBA Commissioner's Cup Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. Brownlee knocked down 18 of his 24 attempts from the field, including six 3-point shots, and collected 20 rebounds and seven assists in the latest edition of the Manila Clasico showdown.
The win improved Ginebra's record to 6-4, tied with Blackwater for third place, and guaranteed a spot in the quarterfinals. Magnolia, on the other hand, fell to fifth place with a 5-4 slate.
Magnolia soared to a 10-0 start before the Kings found their groove. With Brownlee dropping 24 points in the first two periods, Ginebra managed to trim a double-digit deficit down to a single point by halftime.
"They came out with that tremendous energy to start the game. It was a little scary there in the beginning, but I think we were finally able to settle into a tempo that worked for us, " said Ginebra coach Tim Cone.
The Kings continued to work their magic after the break to swing the momentum and build as high as a 21-point lead in the fourth quarter.
Japeth Aguilar unleashed three dunks in the last three minutes to help Brownlee and the rest of the team maintain the aggressiveness and finish what they started. Aguilar put up 18 points, nine rebounds, and three blocks.
"I thought we were playing their tempo throughout the first half, and then coming out in the third quarter, we got a better tempo at which we can work more efficiently with," added Cone. "I thought first half we were rushing in transition and making a lot of errors that didn't have to happen. They were unforced, so when we played at a better tempo, we started playing a lot better."
James Farr's own career-high of 34 points, alongside 21 rebounds and three blocks, went for naught as the Hotshots absorbed their second straight loss.
THE SCORES
Ginebra 102 - Brownlee 49, Aguilar 18, Pringle 13, Tenorio 12, Thompson 5, Slaughter 2, Mariano 2, Caguioa 1, Caperal 0, Devance 0.
Magnolia 81 - Farr 34, Barroca 16, Sangalang 14, Jalalon 8, Lee 5, Brondial 4, Melton 0, Herndon 0, Pingris 0.
Quarterscores: 18-23, 46-47, 78-64, 102-81.
EXTRA DRIBBLES
Brownlee set a new career-high, surpassing his 46 points in Ginebra's finals-clinching win in their 2017 PBA Governors' Cup title run.
Magnolia's Paul Lee was recognized before the game as the latest member of the PBA's 5,000-point club. He's the second player who reached the milestone this conference, next to San Miguel's Marcio Lassiter.
The last Manila Clasico happened in the Philippine Cup quarterfinals, where Magnolia prevailed and went on to finish as runner-up to San Miguel after a grueling seven-game finals series.
NEXT GAMES
Magnolia vs. Rain or Shine, July 10 (Wednesday) at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Ginebra vs. Columbian, July 14 (Sunday) at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.