By REYNALD MAGALLON
Ginebra prolific import Justin Brownlee may have a good night in terms of scoring but he would willingly pass up on the game-winning shot if it is Scottie Thompson taking it.
That was exactly the case Sunday night, Nov. 6 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum when Brownlee who had 33 points already across his name and was expected by almost everyone to bail Ginebra out once again, passed up on the game winner and instead found a wide open Thompson on the left corner for the booming triple with 4.8 seconds left.
The shot gave the Kings their first taste of the lead after playing catch up for the entire game and eventually the 97-96 victory over San Miguel.
Seeing how the Beermen were positioned during the jump ball between CJ Perez and Jamie Malonzo, Brownlee knew the defense would be focusing on him and he was ready to give the ball up and find Scottie in the corner.
“I can see the way they are defending us. If the ball came to me nobody was guarding Scottie. I think it was Cruz he was in between us. I asked the coach if we want to take time out or if we see something take it,” recalled Brownlee on Ginebra’s final play
“I saw it and that’s the MVP so you have to have the confidence in him,” he added.
For Thompson’s part though, he may be the one who drilled the biggest shot of the night but he was giving half of the credit to the veteran import who he revealed planned the play from the start.
“Si Justin talaga nagplano kapag nakuha niya yung bola, kasi nakaplan na ita-tap sa kanya eh so sabi ko sa kanya pagkakuha ko ng bola screen agad ako sa kanya pero sabi nya no no no go straight to the corner, I got you I’ll give you the ball,” recalled Thompson on the final shot that capped Ginebra’s comeback from 19 points down.
“Sabi ko ang ganda ng tiwala naboost yung confidence ko ready ako sa corner na yun kasi coming from Justin (ganun) yung tiwala niya sayo,” he added.
And it was not only Brownlee that Thompson is giving the much deserved credit but also the Ginebra shocktroopers in Nards Pinto and Aljun Mariano who anchored the Kings defensive masterclass in the fourth quarter where they held the Beermen to just 16 points.
It was during their pressure the Kings went on a 13-2 run that erased an 11-point lead late in the final frame and tie the game at 94-all.
