Reliable as ever, Justin Brownlee took matters in his own hands and delivered when it mattered the most.
The resident import scored 13 points in the final frame – including the last eight points as Barangay Ginebra held off Meralco, 99-91, to bounce back from its horrendous debut in the 2022 PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
With the Bolts still threatening to pull off a comeback after cutting the lead down to just six, 91-85, with 2:22 to go, Brownlee took charge and kept the Bolts at bay by his lonesome, scoring two free throws before scoring a layup and a floater.
Johnny O’Bryant kept Meralco within striking distance after cutting the lead back to six with 45 seconds left but Brownlee iced the game with two pressure-packed free throws.
The Gilas Pilipinas naturalized player candidate finished with 34 points along with four rebounds and four assists, helping the Gin Kings bounce back from a 20-point loss against the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters.
Scottie Thompson provided support and flirted with a triple-double of 15 points, nine rebounds and nine assists – a fitting bounce back game after being held to just one point in their opening game loss.
Stanley Pringle likewise had his fair share of the spotlight with 16 points and Christian Standhardinger, Japeth Aguilar and Jamie Malonzo all added 10.
O’Bryant paced Meralco with 31 points and 16 rebounds while Allein Maliksi went hot from the distance with four treys to finish with 20 points. That, however weren’t enough to prevent the Bolts from absorbing their second loss in as many games.