PBA: As Ginebra gropes for higher level, San Miguel finds answer in unity

San Miguel guard and playing assistant coach Chris Ross. –PBA IMAGES

San Miguel Beer, a club with enviable roster depth that it had enough talent to spare despite injuries to major players, was caught in a two-game slide when it ran into Barangay Ginebra late Friday night.

Faced with a chance to bolster its bid for a playoff incentive, the Beermen’s veteran skipper reached for a reminder.

“I told the guys that in this two-game losing streak, we were going one-on-one. I told the guys if we just played with each other and shared the ball, it would make it so much easier for everyone else,” said Chris Ross shortly after a 95-82 triumph over the Gin Kings.

“We’re talented. If we just played the game the right way, the ball will find the [right] person,” he added.

That was indeed the case that night at Smart Araneta Coliseum, when San Miguel used a strong second quarter behind Ross and new pickup Don Trollano to bury the crowd darlings in a 20-point hole.

And again when the Gin Kings threatened to come back in the final frame, the Beermen again turned to its playing assistant coach Ross, while Jericho Cruz pitched in to help them hold on for a win and a 4-3 win-loss record that brought them a notch closer to the Top 4.

“This game was really big for us. Before the game, I told the players that through this game, we’ll give ourselves a chance to make it to the Top 4. We just had to cut our losing streak, and we did just that. Hopefully, we can go on a [winning] streak,” said coach Jorge Gallent.

Ross topscored with 22 points spiked with six assists that helped set up Trollano in turning in a rousing San Miguel debut with 16 points. Cruz matched his new teammate, while CJ Perez chipped in 13 and import Ivan Aska 10 more as the Beermen continue to go through the race without the injured June Mar Fajardo.

‘Disappointed’

“Don’s a player, man … He’s low maintenance. I’ve never been with Don like that, but he’s super low maintenance, super quiet guy, but his game is loud. Big help for us,” Ross said of Trollano, whom San Miguel acquired just days ago in a three-team deal with NLEX and NorthPort centered on the returning Robert Bolick.

As the San Miguel veteran heaped praises on his team’s depth, coach Tim Cone painted a stark contrast when asked about his charges.

“I couldn’t be prouder of the guys who finished the basketball game, but I couldn’t be more disappointed with the way our first group played,” he told reporters rather tersely on his way out of the venue.

“That first group is there not because of their names or who they are but because they deserve it. They’re supposed to be earning it every night [but] tonight they didn’t. The second group came out, played so much better, and came with life and intensity. It’s just a really disappointing performance [for the starters] overall.”

The loss handed the Gin Kings a 4-3 mark. And with four games left in their schedule—versus Meralco, TNT, NorthPort and desperate NLEX, Cone is feeling the heat.

“We had a light schedule early in the conference. We kind of walked our way through it and we haven’t picked up the level of our game when we came into tougher opponents, so we’ll see what happens on the 22nd when we come back,” he said.