Not all heroes wear capes, some wear a #32 Barangay Ginebra San Miguel jersey. Justin Brownlee has delivered countless memorable performances for Ginebra over the past decade, but he found a way to raise the bar once again.

The 38-year-old import set a new career-high with 54 points to lead Ginebra to a 100–95 overtime win over the TNT Tropang Giga in Game 5 of the PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. The victory gave Ginebra a 3–2 series lead and pushed them one win away from their first title since 2023.

Brownlee shattered his previous top mark, which he set against the San Miguel Beermen in the opening game of the 2024 PBA Governors’ Cup. He finished Game 5 on 22-of-37 shooting with three three-pointers, 14 rebounds, five assists, a steal, and a block. More remarkably, he accounted for over half of Ginebra’s points on a night when newly crowned Best Player of the Conference RJ Abarrientos struggled to find his rhythm and 2021 PBA MVP Scottie Thompson scored only six points on 1-of-10 shooting.

Ginebra repeatedly went to Brownlee in the mid-post, where he isolated against whomever TNT sent to cover him and seemed capable of scoring each and every time. He was the heart and soul of their offense throughout the night, especially when the game was slipping away late in regulation.

TNT had controlled most of the contest and still held an 87–80 lead with less than four minutes remaining. Unfazed, Brownlee responded by scoring nine straight points, single-handedly turning that seven-point deficit into an 89–87 Ginebra lead with 1:15 left. His final basket during that stretch came on a driving layup after a spin move that caught rival import Chris McCullough off guard. Brownlee scored 17 points in the fourth quarter alone, repeatedly dragging Ginebra back whenever TNT appeared ready to pull away.

RR Pogoy tied the game at 89 on TNT’s next possession, and neither side scored again in regulation. Jayson Castro had the best chance to win it, but missed a wide-open three-pointer with three seconds remaining after a scramble for the ball.

Brownlee remained Ginebra’s most reliable option in overtime, setting the tone by scoring their first five points in the extra period. He opened the scoring with a jumper that broke the 89-all tie, then later completed a three-point play to put Ginebra back ahead, 94–92. He also drew a crucial offensive foul on McCullough with 50 seconds left as Ginebra was protecting a three-point advantage.

Unlike in the closing minutes of regulation, Brownlee received more help in overtime as Abarrientos assisted on his three-point play, hit a jumper to make it 96–94, and later sank two free throws that pushed the lead to 100–95 with 14 seconds remaining. Troy Rosario scored off another Abarrientos assist, while Thompson grabbed key defensive rebounds and forced a late steal on Castro.

Brownlee, who was just crowned the Best Import of the Conference for the fourth time, carried Ginebra for most of the night, but Ginebra ultimately closed the game through a complete team effort in overtime.

Not many can handle the pressure that comes with being an import in the PBA, especially for Ginebra, the league’s most popular and passionately supported franchise. Yet time and again, Brownlee has risen to the occasion. As he put it after the game, he “just had to be what an import is in this league.” Through the league’s 50-year history, that means delivering superhuman performances night after night—something that has become the norm for Brownlee.

The veteran import first suited up for Ginebra as a 28-year-old journeyman back in 2016. After nearly a decade with the franchise, his importance and effectiveness have somehow continued to grow rather than diminish with time. “Only the carabao ages, Brownlee doesn’t.” 

He continues to prove that he remains firmly in his prime, and Game 5 was the latest reminder that whenever Ginebra needs a hero, Brownlee is still capable of taking over in utterly, completely, and overwhelmingly dominant fashion. At this point, there should be no debate over whether Brownlee deserves a statue. The only question is where Ginebra should put it.