Jericho Cruz and Chris Ross doused cold water to a furious Barangay Ginebra fightback to come away with a 95-82 victory and snap a two-game slide in the 2023 PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Friday, Dec. 15.

With the Kings threatening to comeback from a 24 point deficit, Cruz and Ross played the fireman’s role and delivered big baskets to put the game away and catch their victims at similar 4-3 records in the standings.

Cruz finished with 16 points – none bigger than the five-straight points that triggered the blistering 13-0 rally that allowed SMB to regain its footing after Ginebra cut the deficit down to just four with still five minutes left in the game.

Ross, who was firing from all cylinders to spearhead the Beermen in the first half, immediately followed suit drilling a booming left corner triple. Cruz nailed another big trey before Ross completed a steal and scored on a breakaway to restore a 17-point lead, 92-75 with a little over a minute remaining in the game.

Ross top scored the Beermen with 22 points built on six triples while his newest teammate Don Trollano introduced himself to SMB fans by firing 16 points – 14 of which came in the first half when SMB cruised to a full control with a 56-36 halftime lead.

The advantage ballooned to as many as 24, 67-43 midway through the third frame before Ginebra slowly but surely cut the lead down. 

Buoyed by the efforts of shock troopers Stanley Pringle, Von Pessumal, Sydney Onwubere along with import Tony Bishop, the Kings went on a 22-2 run early in the final frame to threaten 75-79 after trailing 77-55 early on.

Bishop limited to just seven in the first two quarters, came alive in the second half, finishing with 20 points and nine rebounds.