Justin Brownlee struck for 32 points as the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Gin Kings turned back the NLEX Road Warriors, 104-94, on Friday to zero in on a finals’ berth in the 46th Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.
The 33-year-old Brownlee also pulled down nine rebounds for the Kings, who picked up their second straight win in the semifinal series as they moved a win shy of a three-game sweep and an outright finals’ slot.
The 6’6” Brownlee earlier led the Gin Kings to a 95-85 win in Game 1.
Brownlee’s stepback jumper in the last 4:07 of the final period sent the Gin Kings to a 96-85 spread with 4:07 left. They were never in danger from there.
Scottie Thompson added 17 points and 12 rebounds for the Gin Kings.
Christian Standhardinger also hit 17 points and had 11 boards for the Kings, who can earn a finals’ berth if they hurdle the Road Warriors on Sunday.
LA Tenorio fired 15 points for Ginebra, including eight in the second period.
With the Kings trailing by five midway in the second canto, Brownlee, Thompson and Standhardinger joined hands for an 11-0 blast that allowed Ginebra to establish a six-point edge, 53-47, with 1:33 remaining and slowly pulled away from there.