‘The mentality that it’s going to be the toughest game we have to overcome and maybe 10 times as tough’
JUSTIN Brownlee of Barangay Ginebra faces a tough TNT Tropang Giga defense during Game 5 of their PBA Commissioner’s Cup best-of-seven finals series.
Photograph by Joey sanchez Mendoza for the daily tribune @tribunephl_joey
Barangay Ginebra import Justin Brownlee doesn’t mind playing hurt for as long as he can lead Barangay Ginebra to the title of the Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup.
Brownlee said their medical staff has been doing a tremendous job making sure that his dislocated right thumb will not fall off in the middle of their 73-66 win over TNT Tropang Giga last Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Despite playing with nine healthy fingers, the 36-year-old reinforcement still finished with 18 points and 14 rebounds to give the Kings a 3-2 series lead in their best-of-seven finals series. They will try to finish the job when they face the Tropang Giga anew in Game 6 on Wednesday at the same Cubao venue.
“This is probably the most comfortable when it is resting. But during the game, it just has to be taped differently,” Brownlee said.
“In my mind, I just try to deal with the pain and keep winning.”
Doubts were raised when Brownlee dislocated his right thumb while diving for a loose ball in Game 3 at the Philsports Arena last Wednesday. The injury was so severe that the naturalized Filipino had to go to the nearest hospital for immediate treatment, raising speculations that he wouldn’t be available when the Kings see action in Game 4 two days later.
But Brownlee made a miraculous return and boosted the morale of the Kings by dropping 23 points and 12 rebounds en route to a 95-78 victory last Friday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City.
Now, Ginebra has a golden opportunity to finish the series with Brownlee flashing a thumbs-up to show everyone that he is still in perfect shape.
“The mentality that it’s going to be the toughest game we have to overcome and maybe 10 times as tough,” said Brownlee, who won his first PBA title with the Kings in the 2016 Governors’ Cup.
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