Bolts stint done, Brownlee sets focus on Gilas
Justin Brownlee could only express appreciation for Meralco after a brief stint with the franchise he had beaten so many times in the PBA Finals.
“I definitely enjoyed my time here with Meralco,” Brownlee told The Inquirer after the Bolts’ hopes of reaching the playoff phase of the East Asia Super League ended on Wednesday with an 88-79 loss to the Ryukyu Golden Kings at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The setback dealt another heartbreak for Meralco in the regional tournament and closed the book on Brownlee’s unlikely appearance for one of Barangay Ginebra’s fiercest rivals.
Brownlee suited up in two games for the Bolts, including the loss to the Golden Kings, in which Meralco failed to erase a large deficit in the closing minutes.
“They welcomed me with open arms,” he said. “Everybody was just so positive—from the coaches, the bosses, to my teammates. It was special.
“We got a chance to play with RHJ (Rondae Hollis-Jefferson). Unfortunately, he got injured. Ismael [Romero], [Iran star] Sina [Vahedi]—just the whole team. It was very fun to play with the guys. It’s always great to represent the Philippines.”
With Meralco’s EASL campaign over, Brownlee now shifts his focus back to Gilas Pilipinas for the second window of the Fiba World Cup Qualifiers later this month. The challenge will be steep, even with Gilas playing at home.
The national team has a score to settle with New Zealand and Australia, both of whom handed Gilas stinging defeats in last year’s Fiba Asia Cup in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Dropping both games would be another blow. Sweeping them would be monumental. A split, in Brownlee’s view, is within reach.
“It’s definitely going to be tough. New Zealand and Australia are obviously two of the toughest teams in Asia,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to the challenge. Hopefully, we can play better than the last time we did against both of them. Hopefully, we can get a win or maybe even two.”
