RHJ made TNT even more special, says Brownlee
Justin Brownlee’s dry spell against Rondae Hollis-Jefferson in the PBA extended on Friday night as Barangay Ginebra’s championship hopes crumbled under TNT’s might in six games.
The resident Gin Kings import now has lost two championship showdowns against the former Brooklyn Nets standout, the pair of blemishes the latest to come in Brownlee’s erstwhile-pristine record of six-straight PBA titles.
But ever the class act, Brownlee, despite still reeling from a botched campaign, didn’t hesitate to give his tormentor his flowers.
“Man, he’s good. He’s good. I gotta give him credit,” Brownlee said of Hollis-Jefferson after TNT’s coronation at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“You know, he’s good and he fit that team very well. He definitely elevated them (Tropang Giga). They played better with him, I gotta admit.”
Over the course of six games, Brownlee’s averages paled in comparison to those of Hollis-Jefferson’s. The former had 19.6 points, 8.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists against the latter’s 27.0, 11.5 and 5.5.
Those numbers weren’t actually surprising according to Brownlee, considering TNT’s knack for landing prolific imports. But Hollis-Jefferson, he said, was simply on a league of his own.
“They had some great imports in the past. Terrence Jones and Glen Rice (Jr.) were there before,” he said. “But the way they played with RHJ, they (Tropang Giga) have gotten more special with him.”
In the same breath, Brownlee expressed his eagerness to have another chance at the defending champions.
“We definitely would love to get back to the Finals, and love to have a shot again at them.”
