PBA Finals: RJ clutch baskets, Brownlee game-winner lift Ginebra in Game 1 thriller vs TNT

RJ Abarrientos and Justin Brownlee drilled three clutch baskets in the last 90 seconds to lift Barangay Ginebra to a 102-100 win against TNT in Game 1 of the PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup on Wednesday.

The sophomore guard drained back-to-back four-point baskets before Brownlee delivered the game-winning jumper in the final 10.6 seconds to help the Gin Kings draw first blood in the best-of-seven series.

Abarrientos, who was coming back-to-back 30-point games in the semifinals against Rain or Shine, led the finals series opener with 24 points, seven assists, three rebounds, and two steals to become the first player since Season 49 to grab three straight Player of the Game citations in the playoff.

Brownlee finished with 23 markers, eight dimes, and four boards while Troy Rosario and Scottie Thompson chipped in 16 and 15 points each as Ginebra averted a collapse after wasting an 18-point lead.

"I wasn't happy about the fourth quarter, that's for sure. We lost control of the game in the fourth quarter and much of the second half," Ginebra head coach Tim Cone said.

"But RJ hit some big shots that got us back in the game but we lost our lead. It's been a tough road and quick turnaround from Sunday's game, although it's equal for both teams, but we ran out of steam in the fourth quarter."

For three quarters, Barangay Ginebra looked to have everything under control with Rosario's basket giving the Gin Kings their biggest lead of the game at 68-50 before the tide began to turn.

Down 88-79, the Tropang 5G unloaded a 12-0 run fueled by Rey Nambatac, whose four-point shot and a triple gave the defending champions a 91-88 lead. RR Pogoy made that a 95-90 lead when he completed a layup.

However, Abarrientos once again saved Ginebra from disaster before Brownlee sealed the win.

Abarrientos first knocked down a stepback four-pointer over Nambatac in isolation with 1:30 remaining in regulation before drilling another one off a Brownlee screen to put Ginebra ahead, 100-97.

Pogoy then knocked down a triple on his second attempt to force a tie, but Brownlee delivered the tough jumper over Chris McCullough to win the game.

TNT still had 0.6 seconds to make a potential game-tying basket but Calvin Oftana failed to get it through the Ginebra defense as the Gin Kings prevailed by two points.

Scores:

Barangay Ginebra 102 - Abarrientos 24, Brownlee 23, Rosario 16, Thompson 15, Cu 9, J.Aguilar 7, Gray 6, Torres2, Holt 0, Pinto 0, Go 0.

TNT 100 – McCullough 25, Pogoy 22, Nambatac 19, Ganuelas-Rosser 12, Oftana 12, Heading 5, Khobuntin 5, Castro 0, Aurin 0, Williams 0, Quitevis 0.

Quarters: 30-25, 57-44, 79-72,102-100.

—JMB/JKC, GMA News