San Miguel Beermen playing assistant coach Chris Ross all but accused the TNT Tropang 5G of playing dirty after the defending champs’ 111–92 rout of the Tropa in Game 2 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals.
“Half of it’s dirty. That’s where there should be a line dropped,” Ross told reporters in a scrum in the aftermath of Game 2, which was marked by an end-of-game exchange of words between the 40-year-old veteran and TNT’s Kevin Ferrer. “There were a few plays in the fourth where I feel like they weren’t even playing basketball. They were just going in, elbowing, hip-checking. We understand that. I don’t know what you’re trying to do.”
Incidentally, Ferrer gave a hard foul on San Miguel’s Chris Miller, where the latter appeared to have been hit with a leading shoulder and elbow as he drove to the basket with only 26.5 seconds remaining. Ross, who was seated at the far end of the Beermen bench, appeared to have been riled up by that foul, as he immediately stood up with both arms raised and walked a few steps forward toward the baseline.
Chris Ross Says Physicality Is Fine
The many-time champion emphasized that physicality on the court is acceptable as long as lines are not crossed and fellow players are not put at risk.
“As long as it’s physical basketball, it’s fine. But when you cross the line and start leading with elbows and hip checks and not doing basketball plays, people have to take a look at it. Physicality is fine,” he explained. “This is our livelihood. Once you start trying to hurt people, you’re trying to take the livelihood of the players…”
Curiously, Chris Ross’s own teammate, Jericho Cruz, appeared to land a knee on TNT big man Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser’s back in a loose-ball scramble with 5:14 remaining in the second quarter. Cruz was assessed an ordinary foul in that instance—the same infraction given to Ferrer later in the game.
It is vital to note here that Chris Ross did not give specific instances of what he perceived as “dirty plays” from TNT. Even so, the allegation—fair or not, warranted or not—is out in the open. And it will only add fuel to an already intense PBA Finals between two fierce rivals.
