San Miguel Beermen guard Jericho Cruz shrugged off criticism over his on-court antics during their 105-91 win against TNT Tropang 5G in Game 4 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals, saying he was simply being himself.
In a post-game interview, Cruz said he was encouraged by San Miguel Corporation sports director Alfrancis Chua to embrace his natural playing style and not be distracted by outside opinions.
“Tulad ng sinasabi ng coach, ni boss Al, na kapag pumasok kami [sa court], we put in our head na every game is parang our last game,” said Cruz, who hails from Iloilo City.
“Specifically, sinasabihan ako ni boss Al na, ‘Laruin mo lang ‘yung laro mo. Hayaan mo ‘yung mga sinasabi ng iba, kasi ganito ka maglaro eh. Let it be. Laruin mo ‘yung laro mo.’ ‘Yun lang ‘yung sabi sa akin,” he added.
Cruz drew attention from the TNT coaching staff during the game after celebrating several plays with expressive gestures—including flexing his muscles after a three-point play and pointing at his defender after a made triple.
Despite the reactions, Cruz backed up his energy with results, finishing with a team-high 23 points—15 of them coming in the fourth quarter—as he helped propel the Beermen to a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Courtesy: PBA
The post Jericho Cruz on Game 4 antics: ‘Just playing my game’ first appeared on Fastbreak.
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