As long as the locals play consistently, San Miguel guard Chris Ross believes the Beermen will be a force to reckon with in the PBA Governors’ Cup.
Regardless of their import.
SMB will parade its third reinforcement in Terrence Watson Sunday when the Beermen battle the defending champion Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Watson replaced the ineffective Terik Bridgeman, who took over from Wendell McKines.
“It’s not really about the imports, it’s about the locals coming to play,” said Ross after the team’s 103-96 win over Rain or Shine at the Big Dome.
“If we do that, and the locals coming to play every night, then we’ll be a tough team to beat.”
The win snapped a two-game skid that improved SMB’s record to 4-3, trying ROS, which saw a three-game streak halted.
Ross led Grand Slam-seeking SMB with 27 points on 10-of-18 shooting from the field, including 5-of-8 from three-point range, with three rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Marcio Lassiter contributed 22 points, Arwind Santos 18 points and June Mar Fajardo 17 points.
“The playoff mode has come a bit early,” said Ross.
The performance of the locals compensated for another shabby performance by Bridgeman, who just had four points on 2-of-9 shooting. He scored two points in SMB’s loss to Alaska last week.
