WATCH: Scottie Thompson Highlights [Brgy. Ginebra vs Meralco Finals Game 5 | April 17, 2022]

Scottie Thompson and Christian Standhardinger came through for Brgy. Ginebra down the stretch as the Gin Kings seized a crucial 115-110 victory over Meralco in Game 5 of the best-of-seven championship series in the PBA Season 46 Governors’ Cup, Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.

The duo unraveled 7 straight points capped with a clutch three by the recently-crowned Best Player of the Conference which gave the defending champs a comfortable 8-point edge, 105-97, after the Norman Black-mentored squad managed cut a 14-point deficit to just a solitary point with 4:44 left on the game clock.

Best Import Justin Brownlee and LA Tenorio finished up the job as the crowd darlings moved ahead in the series, 3-2, and are now just one win away from their 4th Governors’ Cup title in the last 5 years.

Brownlee, as usual, led the charge for the Gin Kings with 40 points on 13-of-17 shooting spiked by 5-of-7 from beyond the arc. The 4-time PBA champion reinforcement added 11 boards, 5 dimes a steal and 2 blocks in 44 minutes of action.

“We did a great job of making shots all night. We had big shots the whole game. I didn’t think it was sustainable, but we were able to sustain it,” said Brgy. Ginebra coach Tim Cone during the post-game presser. “Our guys made big shots. Made big plays, made big shots.”

Thompson came 1 rebound shy of a triple-double as the 28-year old, do-it-all guard finished with 19 points, 9 rebounds and 11 assists to go with a steal and a block. Arvin Tolentino bounced back from a scoreless performance in Game 4 and contributed 16 markers with 12 coming from long-distance. The sophomore pro out of FEU also had 4 boards, an assist and 3 steals.

Standhardinger had 13 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists while Tenorio and Nards Pinto chipped in 10 and 8, respectively.