Chris Ross says there should be ‘line drawn’ for physicality as PBA finals heat up

ANTIPOLO, Philippines – San Miguel guard Chris Ross does not mind the heightened physicality in the PBA Philippine Cup finals as long as it does not cross the line.

Ross took exception to what he described as “dirty” acts by their TNT counterparts after defending champion Beermen earned an emphatic 111-92 win over the Tropang 5G in Game 2 at the Ynares Center here on Friday, January 23.

The victory tied the best-of-seven affair at 1-1, setting the stage for a heated duel between two teams battling for the crown for the second straight conference. 

“Half of it’s not physical, half of it’s dirty, and that’s where there should be a line. There’s a few plays in the fourth where I felt like they weren’t even playing basketball — just going in, elbowing, and hip checking,” said Ross. 

“I don’t know what you’re trying to do. As long as it’s physical basketball, it’s fine. But when you cross the line and start just leading with elbows and hip checks and not doing basketball plays, people got to take a look at this.”

Despite Ross’ claims, San Miguel got the job done by banking on a balanced effort led by Don Trollano, who bounced back from a lackluster 4-point performance in the series opener with a game-high 22 points and 4 rebounds off the bench.

June Mar Fajardo produced a 17-point, 16-rebound double-double, while Mo Tautuaa (14 points), CJ Perez (13), Jericho Cruz (12), and Marcio Lassiter (12) also scored in double figures. 

Rodney Brondial (6 points and 12 rebounds) and Juami Tiongson (9 points and 3 assists) made their presence felt as well in the win that saw the Beermen maintain control for most of the game, except for a tough stretch in the fourth quarter in which TNT tightened its defensive screws to get within 87-97 with over two minutes left. 

But San Miguel answered with an 11-0 run to seal the series-tying triumph. 

“Physicality is fine. This is our livelihood. If you start trying to hurt people, then you’re to take the livelihood of the players. The PBA’s a brotherhood, and I feel like there should be a line drawn [between] physicality and dirty,” said Ross.

Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser paced the Tropang 5G with 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. – Rappler.com