Fireworks at the Big Dome
It’s not often that four players from four different teams erupt for at least 40 points in a single PBA doubleheader. Last Wednesday, the improbable happened. In an amazing display of fireworks, TNT’s Jalen Hudson sizzled for 56 points, Converge’s Jamaal Franklin 47, Ginebra’s Justin Brownlee 44 and NLEX’ Wayne Selden 43 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. The building rocked as TNT downed Converge, 128-122 and Ginebra trimmed NLEX, 114-111. The fans got an unexpected weekday treat.
What was even more remarkable was the four gunslingers didn’t just bag buckets, they also got their teammates involved in the scoring party. Hudson had four assists, Franklin seven, Brownlee six and Selden seven. TNT coach Jojo Lastimosa and Ginebra coach Tim Cone surely couldn’t complain. Converge coach Aldin Ayo and NLEX coach Frankie Lim couldn’t ask more from their imports.
With six teams changing imports, there’s no doubt Hudson, Franklin, Brownlee and Selden are in a class of their own. Brownlee, of course, is the all-time import yardstick who’s playing in his 10th PBA conference since arriving as Paul Harris’ replacement in 2016. He’s led Ginebra to six Finals and six championships. Against unbeaten NLEX, Brownlee did more than his share to lift Ginebra to a come-from-behind victory. Brownlee hit 17 of his 44 in the fourth period, including eight in a row to ignite a 10-0 run that cut the Road Warriors’ lead from 11 to one.
Ginebra’s win was far from easy. Christian Standhardinger had an appointment for an MRI to check on his knee and couldn’t play. Japeth Aguilar sat out the last six minutes to rest a banged up knee and Cone went with seldom-used Raymond Aguilar instead. NLEX led by 12 early in the fourth frame and after Ginebra detonated a 10-0 bomb, the Road Warriors roared back with a 7-0 counter. Then, Ginebra went on an 8-0 surge from two triples by Jeremiah Gray and two free throws from Brownlee. NLEX got back the lead, 111-109, on Kevin Alas’ three-point play and Ginebra closed out the show with another Gray trey and two more foul shots from Brownlee. The contest was marked by 17 lead changes.
Selden missed four shots and a free throw in the last six minutes but still delivered a strong performance in his PBA debut. He’s got big shoes to fill with Jonathon Simmons gone but from what he showed against Ginebra with only two days of practice, he’s a more than capable replacement.
Selden played for New Orleans, Memphis, Chicago and New York in four NBA seasons and as he gets more used to the PBA’s physicality and adjusted to his role with NLEX, the former Kansas University standout will be tougher – a scary proposition for the Road Warriors’ coming opponents.
Hudson and Franklin engaged in a swashbuckling duel. Challenged by Lastimosa to improve on his 40.2 percent field goal marksmanship, Hudson repeatedly stormed the rack and didn’t rush taking threes. As a result, he finished with 56 points on 67.7 percent from the field, 54.5 percent from beyond the arc where he was 6-of-11. Franklin started out flat with six points in the first quarter then stepped it up to finish with 47 on 51.7 percent from the floor. Hudson, 26, came from LeBron James’ high school St. Vincent-St. Mary in Akron, Ohio and celebrated the Laker’s emergence as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer with his own explosion. Franklin, 31, once earned $1.4 million in a Chinese league season and is more than worth his weight in gold.