Ginebra pulls up to top spot entering semis after win against TnT

Final: 112 – 93 in favor of the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel!
Best Player: Justin Brownlee with 31 points and 16 rebounds (Photo: PBA/Facebook)

It was Justin Brownlee who led his team Barangay Ginebra to the top spot as they booted out the Talk N’ Text (TnT) Katropa from the elimination round of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Governors’ Cup last Sunday, November 4 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The score ended at 112-93, with Brownlee performing a triple-double with 31 points, 16 rebounds, and 11 assists, being the highest pointer for his team. He was helped by his teammates Greg Slaughter, Scottie Thompson, and Japeth Aguilar who scored 25, 11, and 10 points respectively.

Ginebra Head Coach Tim Cone did not shy away from stating their motive, which was to enter the playoffs strong, reporting “We wanted to make sure we’re coming in [the playoffs] full speed. It’s not about winning but much about preparing us for playoffs.” The Kings only experienced two losses during the season so far but received a total of nine victories.

Coach Cone added during his post-game interview, “The real hard work starts now. There’s no easy way in the playoffs. It’s always a tough route whoever you play against.” The next time the Gin Kings will be playing is against the NLEX Road Warriors, who stands at eighth place, during the quarterfinals on Tuesday, November 6. Because of their top-tier spot, they have a twice-to-beat advantage.

The legendary coach also had a few things to say about his former Purefoods player Marqus Blakely, who played for the opposing team. Cone reminisced, “I had so many, many, many fond memories of Marqus and how he turned around our program at that time. He came in and played with such heart and intensity. He was defensive-minded and that kind of turned everybody that way.” Import Blakely scored 23 points and 15 rebounds during Sunday’s game, which was his first time going up against Cone.

Apart from the TnT Katropa Texters, the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, the NorthPort Batang Pier, and the Columbian Dyip have been eliminated from the conference as well. TnT has been missing the services of star player Terrence Romeo for the past few games, which some fans say is the reason for their elimination.