WATCH: Finals Game 2! #NSD

The real Justin Brownlee showed up for Finals Game 2 and as expected powered Brgy. Ginebra over a hard-fighting Meralco side, 99-93, Friday night inside a packed SM MOA Arena in Pasay City.

The 33-year old, 4-time PBA champion came through with a game-high 36 points to go with 13 rebounds, 9 assists, a steal and 2 blocks in an almost no-relief job as the defending champions evened up the best-of-seven championship series at 1-game apiece.

Gin Kings head coach Tim Cone was all praises for Brownlee’s all-around performance and called his crucial steal and score off Bolts guard Chris Banchero as the play of the game.

“Justin, the steal on Banchero, was probably the play of the game,” said Cone during the post-game presser. “We had to make some spectacular plays down the stretch to win this game, and that’s the way a series is going to be.”

“With Justin struggling in Game 1, you knew he’s gonna come back and blow everybody away in Game 2,” added the league’s most successful mentor.

Scottie Thompson ably supported the frontrunner in the Best Import award with a double-double output of 16 points and 12 boards in 47 minutes of action. The do-it-all guard, now heavily favored to win his career-first Best Player of the Conference citation, was also responsible for keeping Meralco Game 1 hero Allein Maliksi scoreless throughout the match.

LA Tenorio and Christian Standhardinger chipped in 13 and 12 markers, respectively. The 6-foot-8 Fil-German also hauled down 11 boards and stole the ball 3 times.