A 40-year-old in LA Tenorio saved Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in Game 6. A 40-year-old in Chris Ross powered the San Miguel Beermen in Game 7. Now, the PBA’s winningest franchise is headed to the Finals.
Ross, a member of San Miguel’s vaunted Death 5 of the past, turned back the clock just when the Beermen needed it most, leading a searing fourth quarter that turned an 11-point deficit from the third into a 9-point lead midway in the final frame. And he did it, as always, with superb defense, steady playmaking, and timely three-point shooting.
In all, Kapitan Ross finished with 19 points, 3 rebounds, 7 assists, and 4 steals and was seemingly in every big play in the fourth—on both ends. He had two steals—including a clean strip of a driving Stephen Holt—and numerous defections—and hit two triples, both of which were the demoralizing kind as each put more distance between San Miguel and Ginebra. Ross was so locked-in he fired 12 of his total in the fourth as he simply took over.
Martilyo Gang to the Rescue as Chris Ross Explodes
While Chris Ross was the undisputed hero of Game 7, he had plenty of held. June Mar Fajardo, for one, was superlative all game long. But providing a huge spark as well were the Adamson Falcons duo of Jericho Cruz and Don Trollano, who combined for nine fourth quarter points and helped turn the tide with their energy and pressure defense.
Trollano, in fact, tied Game 7 at 77 after a five-point cluster—a lay-up and a booming trey—to open up the final frame. He then connived with Cruz and Ross to hound Ginebra’s ball handlers, forcing turnovers and making it hard for Scottie Thompson and company to get anything going.
In the end, Trollano wound up with 10 points—7 in the fourth–and 6 rebounds, while Cruz added 4 points and 7 assists as he turned from scorer to playmaker in the fourth. Fajardo, meanwhile, was his usual dominant self, pouring in a team-high 21 points on top of 19 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks.
Ginebra Buckles in the Face of San Miguel’s Chris Ross-Led Fight Back
Prior to Chris Ross taking over, Ginebra actually looked poised to arrange a Finals duel with the TNT Tropang 5G, starting off strong and building a nine-point lead in the second quarter. San Miguel briefly took the lead at halftime, 45-44, but the crowd darlings came back to life in the third to erect an 11-point cushion—one that evidently wasn’t enough.
Jamie Malonzo’s game-high 22 points on 8-for-11 shooting led Ginebra, while Scottie Thompson had 16 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists. RJ Abarrientos also had 16, with 13 coming in a fiery first half. Troy Rosario added 15, while Stephen Holt and Japeth Aguilard chipped in 12 apiece.
The scores:
San Miguel (100) – Fajardo 21, Ross 19, Perez 15, Tautuaa 14, Trollano 10, Tiongson 6, Brondial 6, Lassiter 5, Cruz 4
Ginebra (93) – Malonzo 22, Thompson 16, Abarrientos 16, Rosario 15, Holt 12, J.Aguilar 12, David 0, Ahanmisi 0, Tenorio 0
2024–25 PBA Philippine Cup Finals Are Set
Only two remain to dispute Season 49’s last crown: San Miguel and TNT.
The 2024–25 PBA Philippine Cup Finals will start on Sunday, July 13, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, where the Grand Slam-seeking Tropang 5G will look to get a leg up on the Beermen, who will try to be the Grand Slam stoppers.
