Chris Ross expressed defiance over the obstacle Grand Slam-seeking San Miguel is facing against Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in their PBA Governors’ Cup quarterfinals encounter slated tomorrow at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The road to the PBA’s sixth triple crown became even tougher for the Beermen after squandering a 18-point third quarter lead in Sunday’s 104-101 loss to the Meralco Bolts, relegated them sixth in the playoffs and needing to beat third-ranked Ginebra twice in the quarterfinals.
History has proven that such dilemma is like cherry pickings for San Miguel, which produced the PBA’s greatest comeback by winning last year’s Philippine Cup crown against Alaska despite a 0-3 deficit in the finals.
“We play our best when our backs are against the wall,” Ross said. “When the cards are stacked against us, we play our best basketball. We know what we’re playing for, and we’re playing for something not a lot of teams have done in the league. We’ll be ready for Wednesday.”
Ginebra managed to get the twice-to-beat despite a 121-92 loss to TNT KaTropa Saturday night, but is keen on exacting payback on San Miguel after a 107-103 defeat last Sept. 10. In that showdown, the Beermen raced to 26-point lead before scuttling a late Gin Kings rally.
Though the Beermen won’t admit the immense pressure they’re facing, given the fact that a failure to complete the Grand Slam would result in a disappointing season, Ross said the focus should center on playing its old lethal form, not the inconsistent squad that played in the eliminations.
“No pressure. It’s just basketball,” Ross stressed. “We’re playing basketball for a long time and we’ve all been in certain situations. There’s never any pressure on us. We just got to out and play our type of basketball and try to win this game.”
