Both teams went head-to-head on the scoreboard throughout the entire match until the fourth quarter, where Justin Brownlee took over for the Kings to finish with a near triple-double of 14 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists – eight of the points alone being in the final 10 minutes of the match. Brownlee stands in between teammates LA Tenorio and Joe Devance in the statistics, with Tenorio totalling 16 points and Devance contributing 13. Scottie Thompson added 10 as well.
For Talk N’ Text, import Terrence Jones led for most of the way as he chalked up a double-double of 24 points and 18 rebounds. Troy Rosario delivered 12, while Jayson Castro contributed 10. Unfortunately, it was not enough to secure the team a finals return after two years.
Post-game, Ginebra head coach Tim Cone shared in a mix of English and Filipino, “Well, we got one,” but added, “Obviously, it’s not good enough. It was a real struggle just to get one. It’s hard to only have one win, but we’re still alive so we still have life.” He continued, “We’ll see if we could turn it around and get two.”
Brownlee revealed that he was motivated by the presence of the die-hard Ginebra fans in the arena throughout the game, saying, “We just wanted to come out with the never-say-die attitude and just feed off this crowd. We came out and did whatever it takes to take the win.”
Game Four of the semifinals for the Kings and the KaTropa will occur on Thursday, August 1 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.