Justine Brownlee spent much of the second half nursing an injury inside the dugout on Wednesday at the Philsports Arena, casting a shadow over Barangay Ginebra San Miguel’s hard-fought battle in Game 3 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals.
The 6-foot-6 Brownlee, a cornerstone of Ginebra’s championship hopes, was forced to exit the game in the final period after dislocating his right thumb with 6:42 left in the third quarter. The injury occurred moments after TNT Tropang Giga’s Glenn Khobuntin drilled a three-pointer to give his team a 59-58 edge.
Brownlee, despite the injury, led all Ginebra scorers at the time with 19 points, along with four rebounds and six assists. He was later seen leaving the arena in a white van en route to a nearby hospital.
With their star sidelined, the Gin Kings battled valiantly through 12 ties before ultimately falling short, as TNT eked out a nail-biting 87-85 victory to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Even without Brownlee, TNT head coach Chot Reyes acknowledged the toughness of Ginebra’s effort.
“It took our very best to get this win. When Justine went out, I told the boys we’re going to see the best version of Ginebra even without him,” said Reyes. “They’re a deep, strong team, and we had to match that intensity.”
Scottie Thompson stepped up in Brownlee’s absence, scoring 12 of his 15 points in the second half to keep Ginebra in contention.
However, the night belonged to Rey Nambatac, whose clutch performance sealed the win for TNT. Nambatac poured in a game-high 24 points, including a crucial corner three-pointer that gave Tropang Giga an 85-82 lead with just 30.1 seconds left.
After RJ Abarrientos committed a turnover, Khobuntin extended TNT’s cushion with a basket off a Rondae Hollis-Jefferson assist, making it 87-82 with only 13 seconds remaining.
Despite Ginebra’s spirited rally, the Tropang Giga held firm to secure the win and inch closer to the Commissioner’s Cup crown.