Hollis-Jefferson hopes Brownlee can play in Game 6

Justin Brownlee may be his rival on the court but Rondae Hollis-Jefferson still abhors the thought of playing without his counterpart in the biggest stage of the conference.

Brownlee didn’t see action in the final frame of Game 5 as he was rushed to the hospital due to a severe case of food poisoning. Without the naturalized Filipino, TNT went full blast in the payoff period and secured its 3rd win in the series to move one win away from dethroning Brgy. Ginebra.

With his first career pro title now in sight, Hollis-Jefferson hopes to see Brownlee on the opposing end for their first of two chances to wrest the crown this Friday, April 21, 5:45pm at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

“I’m not speaking on the basketball side. I just want to feel better, and as a human I wish no food poisoning of no one. Again, I love his game and I found him to be a phenomenal person,” Hollis-Jefferson said of the Gin Kings’ resident reinforcement.

“I just want him to feel better, take care of his body, and take care of whatever he needs to,” he added.

Without their main man, the defending champs leaned on the duo of Nards Pinto and Christian Standhardinger to continue the fight but the void created by the absence of the three-time Best Import awardee was just too big to overcome. A 10-2 run by the Tropang Giga in the closing minutes of the 4th quarter sealed their fate.

“If he can play the next game, let’s do it. If not, at the end of the day basketball is something that brings a lot of people together, but it’s not what keeps you together. At the end of the day it’s about yourself, it’s about taking care of yourself and feeling good,” said the TNT import.

“ I will pray for him and send my well wishes to him.”