RHJ and JB, the gallant and wounded, get needed breathers
Rest is something that Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Justin Brownlee would like to share these days after playing through injuries in a PBA Commissioner’s Cup title series that ended in a suspense theater of a Game 7 last Friday.
It was a hobbling Hollis-Jefferson who ended up beating Brownlee yet again as TNT won over Ginebra, 87-83, in overtime. And after all the euphoria had died down, Hollis-Jefferson sat on a chair to reflect on what was the hardest of all three titles he’s won here.
“For sure [this was the toughest one],” Hollis-Jefferson said. “[My teammates were] in there [in the locker room] celebrating when I was sitting down like this.”
Hollis-Jefferson played with a pulled hamstring throughout the championship series, something he and the team didn’t admit until the end of the Finals, even when word of it leaked out prior to Game 6 as TNT fell behind, 3-2.
His condition was further compounded after crashing into the LED advertising equipment while saving the ball in the first half of Game 6, eventually resulting in some abdominal pain.
But Hollis-Jefferson persevered and led TNT to a win, then kept making big plays despite already limping in pain in the decider that needed extension before the Tropang Giga secured the second championship of Season 49 and on the cusp of a historic Grand Slam.
“My abdomen was locked, and at the same time, my groin was locked. So I couldn’t really move my leg,” Hollis-Jefferson said after finishing with 25 points and 12 rebounds in Game 7.
Hollis-Jefferson sat out only seven seconds in Game 7, five of those happened during Brownlee’s dramatic tying three-pointer late in regulation that eventually forced extension.
It came with 16 seconds to go when TNT decided to insert Paul Varilla in lieu of Hollis-Jefferson, which was a surprising move. Varilla defended Brownlee well, but the six-time champion was able to find some space to knock down the shot from the top of the key for 79-all.
Missed four-pointer
Brownlee’s three should have ignited Ginebra in the extension, and cap off the beloved import’s courageous showing with a record seventh title. He played with a dislocated right thumb since the third game.
But alas, uncharacteristic mistakes, including a few from Brownlee, plus gutsy moves from PBA Press Corps Finals MVP Rey Nambatac and Glenn Khobuntin secured TNT’s date with destiny.
Brownlee’s attempt to go for a second overtime with a four-point shot sailed wide left, and he was left to deal with another heartbreaking setback at the hands of Hollis-Jefferson and the Tropang Giga.
“I guess those couple of turnovers that I had in the overtime hurt our rhythm and momentum,” Brownlee said before taking a long pause. “Maybe that was just a lack of focus in key moments and I think a lot had to do with myself.”
The two imports battled and performed despite their ailments in a Game 7 for the ages, which will eventually go down as one of the best in PBA history.
And after that, both agreed to take a step back, for now.
Hollis-Jefferson flew back home with his mother, Rylanda Hollis, who watched the remainder of the series, and will have his injuries checked out. Hollis-Jefferson also plans to “play with my kids, pick them up from school [and] coach them in soccer.”
Brownlee will have his thumb checked out as well and said that surgery is a “90-percent likelihood” following another set of tests. He is expected to get some rest once he heals up before donning the Gilas Pilipinas uniform for the Fiba Asia Cup in August.
“But I think it’s important maybe to get some rest now,” said Brownlee.
