We showed the playoff intensity we expected to have in the first game.

JUSTIN Brownlee and Ginebra clash with NorthPort for a chance to get closer to the PBA Governors’ Cup finals.

After exchanging blowouts, Barangay Ginebra and NorthPort brace for a dogfight when they collide in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Governors’ Cup today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Gin Kings and Batang Pier clash at 7 p.m. with both teams gunning for the pivotal 2-1 series lead.

Ginebra bounced back from a 90-124 Game 1 loss with a 113-88 drubbing of NorthPort in Game 2 Monday night to tie the series at one game apiece.

“In the first game, we just didn’t know what we wanted to do and you certainly can’t execute when you don’t know what to do,” Gin Kings head coach Tim Cone said.

“I thought we came out and play with a lot of playoff intensity this time. We showed the playoff intensity we expected to have in the first game,” he added.

It was a complete turnaround for Ginebra in Game 2 as the Gin Kings shot 52 percent from the field (42-of-81) and the three-point zone (14-of-27) to carve out the second straight lopsided win in the series.

They also scored at least 31 points or more in the first three periods and already surpassed their total output in Game 1.

Former Batang Pier Stanley Pringle led Ginebra’s balanced attack in Game 2 with 23 points, LA Tenorio added 20 markers, Greg Slaughter came off the bench to contribute 16 points and nine rebounds while Justine Brownlee had his usual all-around game of 15 points, 10 boards and five assists.

With the series now pruned down to best-of-three, Cone expects nothing but a tight encounter in the succeeding games as it’s now NorthPort’s turn to bounce back from an ugly defeat.

“One-point victory, that’s all our expectations are. Win the game by one-point, that’s all our we’re going to do,” Cone said.

“Basically, our expectation is we’re going to play the game hard and I’m sure they are as well. I’m sure it’s going to be a great game,” he added.

Batang Pier head coach Pido Jarencio hopes import Michael Qualls and Christian Standhardinger can make up for their sub-par performances in Game 2 to retake the lead.

Qualls was held down to his lowest output in the conference with just 20 points on 6-of-28 shooting from the field while Standhardinger was limited to just 10 points, attempting just nine times and converting four.

Garvo Lanete, who sizzled in Game 1 off the bench with 24 points, 21 came in the final quarter, was held down to five markers in16 minutes of play.

NorthPort had a very poor performance on both ends of the floor. As a team the Batang Pier shot only 41 percent from the field and made eight out of 28 from the three-point line.

Sean Anthony was the only consistent Batang Pier in the previous game with 19 points and 11 rebounds and shot 9-of-16 from the field.