SAN Miguel Beer veteran Chris Ross saved his best for last.
After watching fellow veteran playmaker LA Tenorio of Ginebra save his team’s season in Game 6 with a game-winning three-pointer last Sunday night, Ross took his turn and provided the Beermen the sorely needed punch in the biggest game of the PBA Philippine Cup semifinals.
“I’m a competitor. Like not playing in the last game (Game 6), it hurt my feelings and then seeing LA do what he did, it was super inspiring to me,” Ross said. “I had a chat with LA before the game and told him how I felt about him, just his journey and everything that led to him doing what he did and it really inspired me.
“Coach and I had a talk, I told him that I’m a winner. I just want to win by any means. I don’t care how it gets done. I stepped up to the plate. I told him that no one competes harder than I. No one plays harder than me,” he added.
True enough, the 6-foot-1 Ross fired 19 points, three rebounds, seven assists, and four steals as SMB nosed out Ginebra 100-93 in Game 7 and arranged a Big Dance duel with grand slam-seeking TNT.
The opening salvo of the best-of-7 finals is slated for Sunday, July 13, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Ross, 40, said he drew inspiration from Tenorio’s heroics that guided the Kings to an 88-87 victory in the sixth tiff, and from his wife and child.
“I know I still have it. It’s just an opportunity. I feel like my body is as healthy as it’s been in a while. I wouldn’t say I like proving people wrong, but I just play how I play. I feel like in the last 10 years, the top point guards are Jayson, LA, and myself,” Ross said. “I don’t get the credit that those guys get, but I feel like my resume and my accolades match up with anyone.
“So, it was just my way of going and proving myself and with my lady over here watching and my baby, I just wanted to make them proud.”
At the juncture of his career where he does not mind whether he plays heavy minutes or just quality stints, all that matters now for Ross is winning.
“A multitude of things. The biggest one was not playing last game. I literally couldn’t sleep the last two days just thinking about it because I’m a competitor. I didn’t play in Game 2, but we won. That’s what I’m all about, winning. I don’t care if I play 48 minutes or if I play one second,” he said.
“If we win, I’m happy and not playing and not winning, it really rubbed me the wrong way. I was covering up some tears after that because it’s been an emotional last few days for me.”
