PBA finals series far from over, Ginebra’s Brownlee warns

MANILA, Philippines -- Despite being on the cusp of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup championship, the series is still "definitely a long way from being over”, Barangay Ginebra import Justin Brownlee said.

Brownlee and the Gin Kings are holding a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven championship series over the TNT Tropang Giga following a 73-66 victory Sunday.

Now, they are one win away from the championship – their first since winning a seven-game series against the Bay Area Dragons in the PBA Season 47 Commissioner’s Cup.

It will also break their two consecutive Finals losses against TNT – the 2023 Governors’ Cup and the 2024 Governors’ Cup.

After Sunday’s win, Brownlee said that while they are holding the advantage this time around, they’ve got a long way to go, still.

“Yeah, it definitely gives us an edge. But at the same time, it's definitely a long way from being over,” he told reporters.

“If you want to take that team out, it’s going to take an incredible amount of effort and focus,” he added.

The two teams were trading haymakers in the fourth quarter, as the game went from one side to another.

But Brownlee and guard Scottie Thompson took over late to grab the 3-2 series lead after being down 1-2.

“This team is really sharp. They've been playing well this whole conference. Even now, they've stepped up their game in the finals. They've been playing the best they can play,” Brownlee said.

“We've got two teams that are going hard against each other. They really know each other, just like they know us, we know them. It's just going to be a hard-fought last two games or one game if we can hold it out,” he added.

“It's just a long way from being over for us. We're just not really trying to settle or be satisfied in this moment.”

In Game 5, Brownlee finished with 18 opoints, 14 rebounds and five assists, while Thompson had 16 markers, 10 boards and five dimes to go with a steal and a swat.

The Gin Kings also forced TNT to shoot just 32.9% from the floor, as they made just 25 of their 76 shots.

Aside from their struggles on the floor, the Tropang Giga also had a heated moment between Coach Chot Reyes and center Poy Erram, with the former saying he was “fed up with all the antics”.

Game 6 is on Wednesday, 7:30 p.m., at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.