MANILA – From being one of the cellar-dwelling teams early in the 2018 Commissioner’s Cup, Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings moved closer to a playoffs spot as it romped to its fourth straight win.
Kings import Justin Brownlee said his team is now playing on a different level after tallying four consecutive lopsided wins – including the 105-86 rout of Alaska Aces on Sunday night.
“I think it’s just the playoffs mindset of the whole team. Everyone was just down, when we were 1-5,” said Brownlee, who finished with 28 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in just three quarters against Aces.
Kings regained its determination to win after its 97-104 defeat to the defending champion San Miguel Beermen on June 3 that sent the former spiraling down the standings with 1-5, Brownlee said.
“I remember coming to practice the next day after we lost to San Miguel. Everyone just wanted to go at it and get better,” said Brownlee, who came in midway in the conference to replace the ineffective Charles Garcia.
“Everybody’s mindset was still positive even though we haven’t had much success early in the conference,” he added. “We just hope to continue winning as we move closer to the playoffs.”
Kings, currently with a 5-5 win-loss slate along with GlobalPort Batang Pier, can secure a spot in the best-of-three quarterfinals if it defeats Batang Pier on July 6 at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City./PN
