AT this point, Chris Ross isn’t really looking at the projections on where San Miguel will end up come the playoffs, with two games remaining in the PBA 50th Season Commissioner's Cup elimination round.
His entire focus is zeroed in on the things that he can control, like their 103-92 win over the Meralco Bolts on Tuesday to push their record to 5-5 and move back within the Top 8 at seventh place.
READ SMB pumps life into PBA playoffs bid by turning back Meralco
“We’re just trying to take it possession by possession. We’re not looking too far ahead,” Ross told SPIN.ph.
“We know we’re on the outside looking in when it comes to the Top Four but if we handle our business and win these next two games, we’ll give ourselves a nice morale going to the playoffs.”
While a Top Dour push may be improbable for the Beermen now, it makes the 31-time PBA champion now the most dangerous low seed in the playoffs, a handful for anyone in the Top Four.
And Ross knows that as well.
San Miguel’s veteran backcourt of Ross and Jericho Cruz missed time early on in the conference and the Beermen have struggled to steady the ship ever since, even with their return.
Slowly but surely, though, San Miguel is getting there as it continues to get healthy. It was on full display in this win against Meralco where it had to weather a flat start early on.
“I think that the odds, whether we’re twice-to-beat or twice-to-win or whatever, as long as we’re playing well and we’re healthy going in, we’re gonna have confidence in ourselves,” he said.
While this edition of the Commissioner’s Cup has parallels to many import-laden conferences in the past for San Miguel where its inability to get a steady import led to its downfall, Ross believes this conference is a different story with Boatwright on board – and hopefully, for the future.
“It’s tough whenever you try to integrate guys in [the middle of the conference]. So luckily when Bennie became available we were able to get him. He’s played with most of the guys with the team. We’re really familiar with him and he’s really familiar with us,” Ross said.
“The import thing is a thing of the past now because we got a guy that we’re used to and won a championship with so the confidence is there with him, and him with us so luckily we don’t have to look for any other import, Bennie will be our guy.”
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
