In the midst of the San Miguel Beermen's blistering run that broke open a tight six-point game early in the fourth period of Game 3 of the PBA Philippine Cup finals, one play stood out that was emblematic of the entire stretch.
At the 8:04 mark of the game (play video below), Matt Ganuelas-Rosser intercepted Rafi Reavis's pass to Rome Dela Rosa. He swiped at it, causing the ball to sail out of bounds. Dela Rosa and MGR raced to get the ball, but the lanky San Miguel forward got there first, tapped the ball off Dela Rosa, and forced another turnover.
As he howled after another defensive stop, teammate Brian Heruela approached him. They exchanged high fives, crossed their arms together in what looked like a giant X, and bashed them together with a smile.
At first I thought it was a modified version of the Wakanda salute which MGR has been making famous in his transformation as the Black Panther of the Beermen. Maybe Heruela was just being extra supportive of him as a good teammate.
But it means something else for these two. It's a symbol of who they are, and their identity on the floor.
"Me and him, that's my 'shackles' brother," Heruela says after the 111-87 win over the Magnolia Hotshots in Game 2. "We try to give our defense a lot of intensity and energy. That's why you notice me and Matt always do that because me and him, we lock up."
Now we know what their new signature move is: shackles. In other words, the two along with the rest of San Miguel's bench unit are always looking to put the offense of the Hotshots on lock down, no matter when and where they get the opportunity on the floor.
"That's my guy," Ganuelas-Rosser says. "Our biggest thing is defense. Every time we come in, our handshake is shackles. That's our thing. We are gonna try to get defensive stops and run. Ever since i got on the team, that's been our thing."
In a tight ball game, the bench got the call in the fourth quarter. During San Miguel's 15-0 run in the fourth quarter, they held the Hotshots to 0/5 shooting, and forced them to two turnovers. For the entire fourth quarter, the Hotshots wound up 7/22 from the field, good for 31%.
"All the guys including the starters are always ready to play, including the bench guys," Ganuelas-Rosser said. "It could be anybody in any given game, on any given night. we just stay ready. So when it's our turn, we play with energy and passion, we're good."
They played so well, coach Leo Austria didn't insert back the starting unit. Shackled up, indeed.
"Me and Matt- we're lock up guys," Heruela said. "We lock up. That's our mentality. We're trying to bring this defensive intensity inside." Since the elimination round, we've been working on that. Even since he came to the team, We're trying to put our defensive intensity really high."
"Our job is to come in there and be physical and come in with a lot of energy," Ganuelas-Rosser added. "And we did our job today. we thought we were rewarded when coach let us finish off the game like that."
Bench production has always been a talking point when it comes to San Miguel. Because of the greatness of their soon-to-be legendary starting five, the second unit hasn't always had an opportunity to be productive on the floor. Game 3 is a testament to the squad's ability to contribute in different ways. Because while they might not always score a ton of points, they are determined to make sure that the opponent won't score on them as well.
"We know how hard those guys work, and they deserve to be out there too," Chris Ross shared. "It makes me feel great inside to see those guys playing well. I know the work those guys put in, and it's just a blessing not only for us, but everyone involved."
The "Shackle Brothers" definitely put in work in the fourth quarter. And while many were left incredulous at the effort put forth by the second unit, count Ross as one who wasn't surprised.
"They beat us a lot in practice," Ross admitted. "When we scrimmage, we know what those guys can do. To me, it's not a surprise when they go out and play well. To everyone it might be a surprise, but i see those guys everyday in practice and I know how skilled they are."
When people criticize San Miguel's bench, it's usually because of a perceived lack of production on the floor. But for a top heavy team like the Beermen, the production of the second unit is vital on and off the floor. They push the starting five in practice, ensuring that they are prepared for the physicality, especially against a rugged team like the Magnolia Hotshots.
"Those guys push us," Ross stated. "Brian [Heruela] is guarding me everyday. And Brian's probably one of the, if not the strongest guard in the league. So I get to go against Brian everyday, and June Mar gets different looks- Gabby [Espinas], Billy [Mamaril], Yancy [De Ocampo]. And not a lot of people know, but Yancy's one of the strongest guys in the league also. We really get pushed in practice and it benefits us all in the game."
"We have a really strong first group," Heruela said. "And we try to contain and even surpass the energy of our opponent to give the guys rest and give ourselves a chance to make a good run while the second unit is on the floor. We really try to put ourselves in a good position to win."
Now with a 2-1 lead, San Miguel prepares for Game 4 with the intent of putting a chokehold on the series. It's clear that the Hotshots have their work cut out for them, as The Shackle Brothers and the rest of San Miguel get confidence the longer this series goes. Because now it's clear: for the Beermen to win a ring, they'll need more than just their starting five.
"Honestly, if I was on the bench I would get tired of hearing that," Ross says of the San Miguel "Fab Five" narrative. "Because we're a team. and they know that they're a part of our team also. and I know that our five, we got all the accolades, we play heavy minutes, but those guys on the bench are more than capable."