Regarding the foul he committed that almost cost San Miguel the game against Rain or Shine on Thursday in the PBA 49th Season Governors’ Cup, CHRIS Ross chose not to comment.

With 6.8 seconds remaining and San Miguel leading 111-108, the Beermen made a strategic foul rather than allow the Elasto Painters to attempt a game-winning or game-tying three-pointer. Instead, they forced a free throw shootout.

Felix Lemetti, who had three seconds left, tied the score with a three-point shot after Ross fouled him. But the officials saw it as a shooting foul, which sent Lemetti to the line where he made all four of his free throws.

Luckily for Ross and San Miguel, the Beermen were able to respond, winning 113–112 thanks to a crazy game-ending jumper by June Mar Fajardo from the free throw line.

However, Ross was clearly upset by the mistake and voiced his displeasure to the referees soon after Fajardo’s game-winning basket. Even nine laughing emojis were shared by the San Miguel guard on his X, formerly Twitter, account.

Afterwards, when Ross confronted the media following the game, he remained silent.

“I don’t want to get fined. I’m not getting fined right now. I don’t want to get fined,” Ross stated.

Ross regretted, however, that there was also a dubious call during San Miguel’s Cagayan De Oro City loss to NLEX on Saturday.

According to Ross, San Miguel was trying to foul on Rain or Shine’s possession.

When questioned during the postgame news conference, San Miguel coach Jorge Gallent was also observed to disagree with the call but chose to move on.

“I don’t want to say it was a good decision because [when] Chris thought he fouled him, he fouled him on the floor. But if the referee didn’t call a shooting foul, I think that was the best decision,” explained Gallent.

To foul him down and to make it a free throw contest. But you know, it is what it is. The referee called a four-point (act of shooting) foul. We just have to learn from that and move on.”

Ross was upset with the call, but Fajardo’s jokes about the foul that almost cost the game later calmed him down at the dugout.

On the other hand, after Rain or Shine’s first-ever PBA Governors’ Cup loss, 113–112, at Ninoy Aquino Stadium on Thursday night, June Mar Fajardo’s buzzer-beating basket for San Miguel left FELIX Lemetti feeling devastated.

Rain or Shine, the eighth overall choice in the most recent PBA draft, had a spectacular night that was marred by the loss despite his scoring a team-high 28 points on 7 of 11 field goals, including 5 of 6 from three-point range.

The Elasto Painters were down by as many as 12 points late in the third quarter, but he was literally three seconds away from being Rain or Shine’s hero when he made all four free throws after Chris Ross fouled him while he was shooting from the four-point arc.

However, Fajardo turned back the clock for the Beermen, as his midrange jumper rebounded after striking the rim, capping the Elasto Painters’ perfect 4-0 start. Despite this, the team managed to secure the top slot in Group B.

Lemetti claimed that even though he was in the four-point arc when he made the shot, he was expecting a San Miguel foul in the game’s last play.

The rookie showed he had ice in his veins by making all four of his free throws, despite feeling a little amount of pressure.

Lemetti made seven of eight foul shots in the end.

The rookie remarked that playing competitively against a champion team like San Miguel—a squad Rain or Shine will face again on September 19—was an amazing experience.

Lemetti yearns for retribution.