Time to chill the gin
Barangay Ginebra coach Tim Cone has been to so many battles that he knew the first thing to do after winning Game 5 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals against TNT was to make sure that his Gin Kings wouldn’t be at too much of a high.
“Don’t celebrate!” the multi-titled Cone, his voice overheard outside the Ginebra dugout at Smart Araneta Coliseum after a 100-95 victory over the Tropang 5G on Friday night, hollered as the crowd-favorites moved within another win of ending a three-year title drought after gaining a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series.
One-man job
Justin Brownlee put on a one-man show on his way to a career-high 54 points, and although Cone wanted to have more players contributing, he was also left with no choice but to be pragmatic.
“The way they’re defending us, they’re putting pressure on Justin to win Game 5 by himself,” Cone said. “But, we have no recourse. And when it comes to winning, you have to do what you go to do.”
Brownlee wheeled Ginebra back from an 11-point deficit and from 87-80 behind in the fourth, as the Gin Kings forged overtime at 89-all before winning with authority and earning a two-for-one chance to unseat the Tropang 5G.
Ginebra needed a five-minute extension to pull it off, with Brownlee taking a backseat for crucial buckets from RJ Abarrientos and Troy Rosario, plus hustle plays from Scottie Thompson.
And now, Ginebra has the chance to take the title off TNT, winner of last season’s edition, with the first of those two shots coming on Sunday at the same venue.
Expectations are for the crowd to exceed the 18,039 that filled the Big Dome as Ginebra takes a chance at the franchise’s 16th title.
A Game 7, which TNT will attempt to have with a win on Sunday, will be on Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Abarrientos scored 13 points after a difficult time finding ways to maneuver against TNT’s Jayson Castro. But he scored a three-point play and assisted for a Rosario basket that put Ginebra up, 98-94.
Rosario had 10 points, seven rebounds and three assists after a grueling battle with Tropang 5G import Chris McCullough.
TNT blew a big chance despite 38 points and 16 rebounds from McCullough. RR Pogoy scored 23 points in arguably his best performance of the Finals while Castro got six points, six rebounds, six assists and three blocks.
Castro had a chance to win it in regulation, but his three-point attempt was an airball.
