Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — With a commanding 3-0 lead heading into Game 4, the Alaska Aces virtually had the San Miguel Beermen on the ropes. All they needed to do was to unleash that final lethal punch to bring the defending champions to their knees and capture the coveted PBA Philippine Cup championship in the process.
Unfortunately for them, the Beermen managed to evade that final blow in Game 4 on Sunday (January 24) to extend the best-of-seven title showdown.
Read: Beermen avert disaster, outlast Alaska in Game 4
The Beermen, for San Miguel Beer guard Chris Ross, showed what champions are really made of.
“We’re down 0-3 so you just gotta put all the chips on the table and hope for the best. We just fought and clawed back and showed the character of our team,” said Ross, whose team is still without injured star June Mar Fajardo.
“Even though we were down in the fourth quarter, we fought to the end and took the lead. Cyrus (Baguio) made a big shot (that sent the game into overtime), but we didn’t let it kill us. We came back in OT and played good basketball. I hope we continue this momentum into Game 5.”
Ross was an assist shy of a triple double outing as he fired 11 points to go with 11 rebounds and nine dimes.
“I just play hard. I don’t look at stats. The only stat that matters to me is the W [win] in the end,” said the pesky guard, who scored back-to-back baskets in overtime to instigate a 12-to-nothing barrage that put the Beermen on top for good.
“Of course, having a triple-double is icing on the cake and it will go down in the record books or whatever, but it really doesn’t matter to me. All that matters to me is the team getting a win.”
Read: Fajardo wins third straight PH Cup BPC award
San Miguel Beer got the much-needed reprieve in the series that made a surprise turn on Sunday. Alaska’s main man Vic Manuel admitted they wanted to close things out in Game 4, but San Miguel Beer’s win didn’t actually come as a surprise for him given their foes’ formidable roster and experience.
“Balak na talaga namin tapusin, kaso talagang yung San Miguel hindi rin nag-give up. Talagang lumaban rin sila, ang ganda ng laro nila. Pinahirapan nila kami,” said Manuel, who scored Alaska’s first four points in the extra period before the Beermen went berserk.
[Translation: “We wanted to finish them off but they didn’t give up. They fought hard and made things difficult for us.”]
But they will have the chance to do so again when they take on their rivals in Game 5 on Wednesday at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
“Siguro gagawin lang namin yung ginawa namin nung first three games, kung paano kami nanalo. Kailangan siguro yung communication and execution namin mas maganda dapat sa Game 5,” said Manuel, whose team is gunning for its first All-Filipino Cup title in 16 years.
[Translation: “We’re going to do what we did in the first three games next game. We need better communication and execution in Game 5.”]
PHOTOS: PBA finals SMB vs. Alaska (Game 4)
