There’s a high chance that these two brilliant imports will collide early in the Governors’ Cup
AN early match-up between Justin Brownlee and Allen Durham looms in the PBA 49th Season Governors’ Cup quarterfinals, based on the current rankings.
If the elimination round ends on September 20, it is going to be Meralco against Barangay Ginebra figuring in the best-of-five quarterfinals as the tournament format calls for the No. 2 seed facing the No. 3 ranked team in the other group.
Meralco is currently at second place in Group A with a 6-3 win-loss record, with a high chance that it will hold even with its one-game lead over Converge (5-4) in the standings.
Barangay Ginebra, on the other hand, also has a 6-3 card, but is in a share of second place with San Miguel after the Beermen lost to Rain or Shine, 122-112, last Thursday.
If in the event that San Miguel and Ginebra will still be tied at second at the end of the elimination round, the Beermen will be at No. 2 and the Gin Kings will get No. 3 based on the PBA quotient that will break the tie and determine the rankings.
The Gin Kings will lose the tiebreak over the Beermen by virtue of their 49-point blowout defeat last Sunday.
So, again, if the rankings hold up, we are going to see Brownlee vs. Durham IV in a series but not for the championship.
Brownlee and Durham figured for the championship in the PBA Governors’ Cup three times, all of which with Barangay Ginebra ending up victorious. Brownlee even won the title on a buzzer-beater over Durham during their first finals series meeting in the 2016 Governors’ Cup.
The last time Brownlee went up against Durham was last January 17, 2020 when Barangay Ginebra captured the 2019 Governors’ Cup against Meralco, 105-93, at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Ginebra and Meralco faced off again for the title in the 2021 Governors’ Cup, with the Gin Kings winning it but with Tony Bishop as the Bolts import.
In his return to Meralco this season, Durham has yet to face Brownlee again as they are in two separate groups.
We could be seeing them again in another duel, but in the quarterfinals.
