Justin Brownlee once again showed why he remains Barangay Ginebra’s ultimate closer, delivering the decisive basket that lifted the Gin Kings to a dramatic 102-100 victory over TNT Tropang 5G in Game 1 of the PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup Finals on Wednesday, June 3, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Brownlee may not have produced the biggest statistical performance of the night, but he came through when the pressure reached its highest point. With the game tied and the clock winding down, the veteran import knocked down a fall-away jumper over Chris McCullough with just 0.6 seconds remaining to give Ginebra the series-opening win.

Abarrientos sparks late surge

Before Brownlee’s heroics, it was rookie guard RJ Abarrientos who helped rescue Ginebra after the team nearly squandered an 18-point lead. Abarrientos connected on back-to-back four-point shots to give the Gin Kings a 100-97 advantage late in the contest.

TNT refused to go away as RR Pogoy answered with a clutch three-pointer to knot the score at 100-all, setting the stage for Brownlee’s game-winning shot on the final possession.

“Nasubok kami sa series against Rain or Shine. At nadala naman in this game,” said Abarrientos, who paced Ginebra with 24 points, seven assists, three rebounds, and two steals.

Brownlee finished with 23 points, eight assists, and four rebounds, while Troy Rosario added 16 points and nine rebounds. Scottie Thompson chipped in 15 points, six assists, and five rebounds.

Cone seeks better finish

Despite securing the victory, Ginebra coach Tim Cone admitted he was disappointed with how his team performed in the fourth quarter after allowing TNT back into the game.

“I wasn’t happy about the fourth quarter, that’s for sure,” Cone said. “I just felt we’re not defending the way we did early in the game. We ran out of steam.”

The Tropang 5G mounted a furious rally after trailing by double digits for much of the contest. A barrage of outside shots highlighted by Jordan Heading, RR Pogoy, and Rey Nambatac helped TNT seize a 91-88 lead and threaten to steal the opener.

Chris McCullough led TNT with 25 points, while Pogoy contributed 22 markers. Nambatac added 19 points, and both Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser and Calvin Oftana finished with 12 points each.

With the victory, Ginebra drew first blood in the championship series and will look to take a commanding lead when the two teams meet again in Game 2 on Friday at the Big Dome.