The San Miguel Beermen will head into their PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals against TNT KaTropa with the unusual position of underdogs.
While TNT import Terrence Jones refused to label his team as favorites, there’s a reason for the Beermen to relish the role of the inferior squad despite their vast championship experiences.
“Usually when we go in (the Finals), it’s either stalemate or probably the favorites.(TNT’s) been playing at a high level all conference and we kinda struggled going in,” Ross said after San Miguel’s 98-95 win over Rain or Shine Friday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
SMB had to go through the wringer when it endured a 2-5 start, replaced Charles Rhodes with ex-NBA player Chris McCullough before surviving twice-to-beat NorthPort and stubborn Rain or Shine in the first two rounds of the playoffs as the seventh seed.
McCullough’s arrival has re-energized the Beermen with his athleticism, offensive brilliance and knack for delivering big shots in the clutch.
“We kinda struggled at the beginning at the conference, but we’ve made strides since then. We’ve lost just twice since Chris and we’re playing the best basketball. But we know we have to bring it up to another level to complete the task,” he said.
The Beermen were beaten soundly by Jones and the KaTropa, 110-97, in their only elimination round meeting last June 8 at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City with Rhodes as reinforcement.
While the result from the eliminations gives TNT the psychological edge and solidifying SMB’s underdog status, Ross stressed that things can still be different.
“Honestly, the underdog, overdog, whatever it’s for you guys (the media) to say. But when we go on the court, any team can win. We know that, they know that, everyone involved knows that,” said Ross.
“I mean, it’s 48 minutes of play. You have to go out there with five guys on the floor, 15 guys on the team, coach-coach. May the best team win. We’re ready for this challenge,” he added. (JONAS TERRADO)
