RJ Abarrientos’s production in this PBA Philippine Cup semis series between the San Miguel Beermen and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel has gone down game by game—from 23 in Game 1, to 18 in Game 2, to just 17 in Game 3. That’s partly due to the swarming defense of Chris Ross, who has taken on the challenge of shadowing the former KBL Rookie of the Year whenever they’re on the floor at the same time.
It turns out Ross is loving this matchup, in part because Abarrientos hasn’t backed down. And the 11-time champion with San Miguel isn’t expecting the former FEU Tamaraw to back down now.
“I like RJ. He’s a showman, right? I was telling him that I like competing against him,” Ross told reporters on Friday after San Miguel’s 91-85 win over Ginebra in Game 3 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. “He doesn’t take anything to heart. If I’m talking trash at him, he’s going to go back at me.”
Chris Ross Expects More from RJ Abarrientos
Unsurprisingly, Chris Ross expects Abarrientos to go right at him for the rest of the series, starting in Game 4, which is all but a do-or-die for Ginebra, as the crowd darlings can ill afford to trail the mighty Beermen 1-3 in a race to four. Rest assured, though, that the two-time PBA Finals MVP will be ready.
“He’s going to compete, move on to the next play, and do his thing…,” Ross pointed out. “He’s not going to stop, and I’m not going to stop. He’s going to keep coming because that’s the type of player he is.”
So far, Chris Ross has more than held his own against the reigning Rookie of the Year, even if the box scores suggest otherwise. Now, he’ll try to again help in shackling Abarrientos once more and move San Miguel to the proverbial hill.
Game 4 between Ginebra and San Miguel tips off later this Sunday at 5:15 p.m. at the Mall of Asia Arena.
