Chris Ross took two full seconds to stare at the Magnolia Hotshots bench.
The San Miguel Beermen were on their way to a 92-77 Game 2 win over Magnolia and Ross took his time savoring the moment.
Holding a safe 14-point lead with about five minutes remaining, Ross intercepted a pass from Robbie Herndon. As all the players headed back to the other end of the court, the veteran guard paused and ball faked in front of the Magnolia bench.
The reserves of the Hotshots were left utterly stunned and glued to their seats as Ross openly mocked them. It was only Magnolia assistant coach Johnny Abarrientos who stood up and wanted a piece of the San Miguel guard.
But for the five-time PBA champion Ross, it was all about good-old, fashioned competition.
"It's fun. I don't do anything to disrespect anyone. I'm respectful to everyone," Ross said.
Magnolia retaliated several plays later as forward Rodney Brondial hit Ross from behind.
"If they feel like they have to dirty up the game, to try to get into my head or whatnot, I'm all for it," Ross said. "I'm good. I'm a football player. They got me harder than that," he added.
Ross finished with just five points, but just as he has done throughout the season, he provided something more for the Beermen. The sturdy point guard still managed 10 assists, four rebounds, and two steals. More importantly, his team has now tied the series at one game apiece. The two teams will have to wait a week for Game 3.
"It's huge for us. You never wanna go on a long break coming off a loss. If you go to a long break there's a lot of thinking, and a lot of overthinking, and more thinking," he said.
The long break between games is a welcome sight for Ross who has been banged up since the semifinals game against Barangay Ginebra.
"Yeah, I'm hurting. But it's the finals. I told coach [Leo Austria] I'll rest on a later date," Ross said. "With this week-long break, it'll help me even more. So hopefully by Game 3, I'll be closer to a 100 percent, ready to go."
He does not seem bothered that he may be seen as a villain.
"Someone was calling me a name from the stands," he recalled. "I just said it's a game. It's not that serious. Basketball is just a game in the big scheme of life. If the opposing team wants to hate me, they can hate me all they want. As long as the guys in my locker room and their families like me as a teammate and as a person, I'm fine with that."