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PBA Finals Quick Hits: High-Motor Ginebra Clinches Commissioner’s Cup Title

George Sta. Ana
January 15, 2023

Their high motor on both ends of the floor powered Ginebra in their title-clinching Game 7 win against Bay Area.

Drawing solid contributions from their key players, Barangay Ginebra turned in a convincing 114-99 win over the Bay Area Dragons in Game 7 to win the 2022 PBA Commissioner’s Cup championship. Led by Justin Brownlee’s exploits, Ginebra raced to a 22-point lead in the first half.

The Dragons tried to make it interesting in the second half, cutting the deficit to 14 late in the fourth quarter. But Bay Area’s free throw woes and Brownlee’s timely buckets added another championship to Ginebra’s growing collection.

Top Performers

Justin Brownlee

34 points, 8 rebounds, 12 assists, 3 blocks, 63% FG
Myles Powell

29 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 4-11 3PT

Activity and efficiency for Ginebra

Game 7 saw Ginebra mix up a perfect blend of activity and efficiency on both ends of the floor. Ginebra’s high level of motor was evident early on, from closing out on shooters to running back on defense and preventing Bay Area from getting easy transition buckets.

To top it off, the Gin Kings also had an excellent shooting night. Buoyed by quick passes (32 team assists) and crisp off-ball movement, Ginebra capitalized on their open looks, highlighted by an efficient 43% (13-30) shooting from the three-point line.

Other Takeaways:

Justin Brownlee again started strong in the Game 7 win, as he already had a 24-4-6 stat line by the end of the first two quarters. Brownlee finished with his third double-digit assist game of the series, showing that incredible balance of shot-creation and playmaking.
As the case in this series, Japeth Aguilar and Christian Standhardinger again got their way against Bay Area's interior defense. The two Ginebra big men replicated what they did in Game 6, chipping in double digits apiece in the scoring column.
Myles Powell and Hayden Blankley led the charge for Bay Area's offense, but it was their team defense that made a comeback attempt more difficult. The Dragons' miscues on defensive rotations, particularly in both the second and third quarter, gave the Gin Kings a lot of open looks, which the latter took advantage of.