Chris Ross is 40 and turning 41 in March, and yet he played 36 high-octane minutes in the San Miguel Beermen’s title-clinching Game 6 win on Sunday. Notably, he spent much of his time on the court shutting down the prolific Calvin Oftana, who singlehandedly brought the TNT Tropang 5G back from an early 21-point deficit with 20 big points in the first half alone.
Afterward, he acknowledged feeling tired, which shouldn’t be a surprise. But he also emphasized how he gives San Miguel “a really good chance of winning” even as he battles Father Time in the process.
“When we’re in the playoffs, I feel like veterans win the game,” said Ross, who has been part of the Beermen’s 12 PBA championships in the June Mar Fajardo era. “I’ve been in hundreds of situations, so I just feel like I give my team a really good chance of winning, as long as my body’s healthy and playing to the best of my abilities.”
Change in Role for Chris Ross
That Chris Ross had enough left in the tank for his defensive masterclass in Game 6 is a credit to the kind of shape he’s in, especially in a conference where he played a little more than originally planned, particularly in the eliminations.
That plan, according to Ross, was for San Miguel to bring him along slowly and unleash him come playoff time—similar to what the team did in the Philippine Cup of Season 49. Two losses to open the conference changed that plan, though, and Leo Austria had no choice but to play Ross more even in the eliminations to settle the Beermen down. The slight change in plan worked, as San Miguel won 10 straight at one point and culminated another dominant all-Filipino showing with a title.
“As long as my body’s healthy, I feel like I can go out there and compete,” addd Ross, who finished with 9 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals in the championship-clincher. “We had a plan this conference, where I was gonna slowly get into it until the playoffs, and my legs would pick up.”
Tired legs and all, Chris Ross showed the value of having a grizzled veteran, especially someone as good as the former two-time PBA Finals MVP.
Now, he just wants to savor the glory—and get some rest, obviously.
He’s also hoping San Miguel sticks to the original plan.
