CHRIS Ross believes San Miguel’s dramatic come-from-behind win in Game Five was the turning point of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup finals which the Beermen won Friday night over TnT Katropa before a crowd of 12,447 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“I think definitely that was the turning point,” Ross said as he looked back at that crucial 99-94 victory the Beermen pulled through by rallying back from a huge 16-point deficit in the final 10 minutes of the game.
“That was big for us. Coming from down 16 and win that game. It took us a lot out of that team and gave us a lot of confidence that we could close out the game (series).”
A confident San Miguel side did show up for Game Six as it led from start to finish to score a 102-90 win to wrap up its second straight title this season and 27th overall in franchise history.
Ross had an all-around game of seven points, 12 rebounds and seven assists in the most convincing win of the team in the finals.
The veteran Fil-Am guard thought the Game Five heartbreaker took a lot of toll on the Katropa.
“To be up 16 in a fourth quarter of a pivotal game and lose it, it’s kind of tough,” he said. “It’s tough to just bounce back like come and play another game 48 hours later. It’s tough mentally.
“I understand that it took out of them. They kind of seem deflated.”
Although the Katropa tried to make a fight out of it, Ross felt that once the Beermen weathered the storm, there’s no way of stopping the franchise from claiming the championship.
“They made a couple of runs because they are a great team. But our championship experience, we made the right plays at the right time, and we’re able to hold on,” said the two-time Defensive Player of the Year.
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