SMB, All-Filipino 3-peat champion
Bags Perpetual Trophy for winning PH Cup for three in row
SMB RULES! — San Miguel Beer celebrates its third straight PBA All-Filipino championship with the Perpetual Trophy as fourtime champion coach Leo Austria gives Finals Series MVP Chris Ross a hug. (Rio L. Deluvio)
The San Miguel Beermen made history last night behind one spectacular performance by the league’s newest star.
Chris Ross put on one of the memorable performances in recent finals memory with his fantastic defensive effort and an amazing basket late in the game that helped power the Beermen to their third straight PBA Philippine Cup title with a 91-85 victory over Barangay Ginebra San Miguel at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Ross dazzled a crowd of over 20,000 as finished with 12 points, eight rebounds, 10 assists and six steals and was the hands-down choice as the Cignal Finals Most Valuable Player after capping off the series with big stops amid several rallies by Ginebra in the fourth quarter.
Taking pride in his play on the defensive end, Ross stole the ball three times from Joe Devance, keeping the Beermen ahead after Ginebra pulled to within 70-69 on Sol Mercado's two free throws with 8:37 remaining in the match.
Then he saved his best for last that secured the Beermen's ownership of the Jun Bernardino Perpetual Trophy while enhancing their status as the league's winningest team with their 23rd championship with a tough followup reverse off a bungled jumper by Alex Cabagnot for an 89-83 lead, 42 seconds left.
Ross' incredible basket all but confirmed San Miguel's place in history – joining Talk 'N Text as the only teams to claim ownership of the two perpetual trophies made by the famous sculptor Ramon Orlina and named after the late PBA commissioner.
The 31-year-old Fil-American product of Marshall University, the former Philippine Basketball League Most Valuable Player who bounced around three teams since his pro entry in 2009 before finding a home with the San Miguel franchise, is now the famous Beerman in town.
He was brash and intense during the series, but was the most humble person after the balloons and confetti fell from the Big Dome rafters.
“This team is all about sacrifice. That's how we win three straight championships in the AllFilipino,” said Ross, who played for Coca-Cola, Sta. Lucia and Meralco before joining the Beermen in 2013.
Not even the presence of the great Robert Jaworski, the one who nurtured Ginebra's never say die spirit, prevented San Miguel from completing its date with destiny.
Coach Leo Austria, who as a player was part of Shell's 3-1 meltdown against Ginebra in the 1991 First Conference, made it four championships out of four finals appearance, a remarkable feat for a guy who was hired by San Miguel in 2014 in hopes of ending a series of playoff frustrations and disgruntled atmosphere described as “Petronovela.” Petronovela is now dead. The famous 0-3 comeback known as the “Beeracle” will forever be remembered, but the three-peat was San Miguel's coup de grace.
Best Player of the Conference winner June Mar Fajardo finished with 21 points, six rebounds and two blocks, Arwind Santos also scored 21 points with eight rebounds and two blocks and Cabagnot had 18 points.
Three Ginebra players hit at least 20 points. Japeth Aguilar led the way with 26 while Mercado and Joe Devance made 20 apiece in their failure to extend the series to at least another game.
Ginebra, failing to repeat after ending an eight-year title drought in last season's Governors' Cup, became the last obstacle in the Ross-led Beermen's ascension to the throne.