Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—San Miguel Beer had been through countless battles on its way to building a dynasty.
The “Beeracle” will always be up there, but winning a fifth consecutive Philippine Cup crown in a gut-wrenching Game 7 comes close as far as the Beermen’s accomplishments go.
“It was one of the toughest. I have a bad memory so it’s hard for me to remember, but this was the first one that I actually cried after winning the game. I hugged coach Leo and tears fell through my eyes, and it was definitely one of the feel-good championships that we have,” Ross told reporters Wednesday night after surviving Magnolia, 72-71, in Game 7 of the 2019 PBA Philippine Cup Finals at Araneta Coliseum.
READ: San Miguel makes history with 5th straight Philippine Cup title, outlasts Magnolia
“It’s always hard to win a championship, but this one is one of the hardest,” said San Miguel Beer superstar June Mar Fajardo, who bagged his third Finals MVP plum.
The Beermen became the first team in PBA history to claim five All-Filipino titles in a row but there is no victory without struggle and they dealt with a lot of it along the way.
“It takes a lot of work. It doesn’t happen overnight. We’ve been through a lot of downs and we’ve been through a lot of ups; it’s been a journey,” Ross said.
Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
“All the guys that wore that jersey tonight are all fighters. We all came through even though we had a terrible first half. We didn’t lose hope, we didn’t lose faith; we just kept battling. We made enough plays in the end to pull this one through.”
San Miguel Beer had to go through Magnolia to keep the Philippine Cup championship for the second straight year and it’s not going to be the last.
READ: Magnolia defense holds San Miguel to lowest scoring quarter in PBA finals history
“They’re scrappy, man. I kept telling my team that all five guys on the court have to play hard. You can’t take any plays off against this team because all five of their guys on the court, they’re gonna go all-out. They go all-out every possession. It’s a testament to the coaching and to their leaders, how they play the game,” Ross commended. “They’re a tough bunch.”
“They pushed us to the limit. They’re definitely a team we have to look out for going forward because they’re tough. I tip my hat to those guys.”
Real recognizes real.
Ross had a lot of high praise for the Hotshots and he made sure to let them know about it.
“After our celebration, I went to their locker room and shook everyone’s hands, and told them that they played a great series because it was one we definitely had to work for. And it wasn’t a pushover. I’m sure they’re looking forward to playing us next conference, and we’ll be ready for whatever they throw at us.”