Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings veteran Maverick Ahanmisi credited their “next man up” mentality for their 102-99 victory over the San Miguel Beermen in Game 6 of the PBA Governors’ Cup semifinals on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
According to Ahanmisi, he, along with Japeth Aguilar and Rhon Jhay Abarrientos, took it upon themselves to contribute offensively after reinforcement Justin Brownlee struggled for his points in the first half.
“I think that’s the characteristic of this team: next man up. If Justin (Brownlee) has an off night, we have to help,” the Filipino-American-Nigerian guard said in a post-game interview.
“A lot of people stepped up tonight, like Japeth and RJ down the line, but I think that’s what the characteristic of this team is—that the next man has to step up,” Ahanmisi added.
Ahanmisi led the way for the Gin Kings with 25 points, with 11 coming in the second quarter. Aguilar dominated inside to end up with 20 markers, while Abarrientos chipped in 16 markers.
Brownlee, who only has eight points after the first 24 minutes, concluded the game with 22 points, including a timely three-pointer that extended the Gin Kings’ lead to 102-98 with over a minute left.
Ahanmisi further said he is delighted to be back in the PBA finals for the first time since winning his first PBA title with the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in 2016, and he hopes to help the Gin Kings exact their revenge against the TNT Tropang Giga.
“It’s been a while, and I am definitely excited to be back in the Finals. It’s been a long time coming, but I’m just glad we made it here because it was a tough series and tough playoffs so far,” he said. “Job’s not done yet, so we’ll see what we can do in the Finals.”
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