Justin Brownlee hopes third time's the charm for Barangay Ginebra vs. TNT

As Barangay Ginebra and TNT take on each other in the PBA Commissioner's Cup Finals, Ginebra import Justin Brownlee hopes they will take home the title this time around.

Brownlee, TNT's Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, and their respective teams first met in the 2023 PBA Governors' Cup with the former and the Tropang Giga taking home the crown in six games.

They met again last conference in the Governors' Cup with TNT again edging out the Gin Kings in six games.

"Hopefully, you know, the third time, you know what they say, third time's a charm, so hopefully it's going to be a hard fought battle for us," Brownlee said Friday after their Game 5 semis win against NorthPort.

"They've been having our number, you know, they've been playing well in the past two finals, so hopefully we can just get in there and change some stuff around and have a different outcome than the past two. We're looking forward to it. I think we're more ready than ever, so hopefully everything can just come together on March 14th."

Not everything is the same, however, for Ginebra vs TNT III.

Barangay Ginebra will now have the likes of Jamie Malonzo and Jeremiah Gray who are coming off injuries, and Troy Rosario who will meet his former team for the first time in the finals.

TNT, meanwhile, will not have veteran Jayson Castro who suffered a knee injury in the semis.

"You know, we've been getting a lot better as a team, the chemistry has been getting better, and of course with Jamie back, Jeremiah back, and Troy, we got him this conference, so hopefully that can be the edge. But, you know, like I was just saying, it's going to be a hard fought series, and I guess any edge we can have or we can get, we're definitely going to try to take advantage of it."

Brownlee is also aware of how tough an opponent his counterpart Hollis-Jefferson is, and he hopes they can stop him this time.

"He's a tough matchup for anybody in this league, and we're going to just try to do our best to try to contain him, and just try to get wins and try to get into rhythm and stuff like that. Tough matchup, tough competitor, excited to go against him again."

Should Brownlee and Ginebra win, it will be the seventh title for the former since joining the squad in 2016.

—JMB, GMA Integrated News