By JONAS TERRADO
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel would rather embrace the role of being the hunted than deal with the pressure that comes after winning the PBA Commissioner’s Cup and entering the season-ending Governors’ Cup with a chance of capturing a third straight crown.
So far, the Kings have started the Governors’ Cup on the right note with victories over Columbian Dyip (96-84) and the Alaska Aces (109-101) but not after facing stiff challenges from both teams over the weekend.
That is why Ginebra understands what tough road lies ahead in its quest to repeat after beating San Miguel Beer in the Finals of the midseason tournament last month.
“Coach Tim (Cone) made it aware to us that there’s gonna be a target on our back, or our chest, or maybe both on our chest and back. And we know that,” Brownlee said after sizzling for 45 points in Ginebra’s victory over Alaska at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“He just told us that there’s a lot of tough teams out there, we just gotta embrace the pressure and don’t shy away from it. Understand it, embrace it and just be ready for the challenge thrown at us,” he added.
The duel with the erstwhile Aces saw the Kings saw their lead reduced to three with over three minutes remaining, only to have Brownlee scored 11 consecutive points to win one pulling away.
Not only is Ginebra dealing with hunters, it is also dealing with injuries to veterans Joe Devance and Sol Mercado.
Devance is nursing a knee problem and could return later this month, Mercado is out for two months after undergoing meniscus surgery while Jervy Cruz and Julian Sargent are likely out for the conference.
Ginebra tries to win its third in a row Wednesday against NorthPort at the Big Dome before going on a 16-day break and facing Blackwater on Sept. 21.
