Jericho Cruz breathes sigh of relief as he was not scolded by ‘Ninong’ Yeng

Perhaps, Jericho Cruz was really meant to face his former team.

The veteran guard disclosed that he wasn’t supposed to play in San Miguel’s PBA Philippine Cup duel with NLEX on Friday at the Ynares Center due to an injury, causing him to miss days of practice with the Beermen.

Sitting out would mean that he won’t play against the Road Warriors, the club he left in the middle of the Season 46 Governors’ Cup as he exercised his right to test free agency that ultimately led to a reunion with Leo Austria in SMB.

But then, he felt well before the game and said that he’d be ready.

Cruz went on to play for nearly 27 minutes off the bench. He finished with 10 points, four rebounds, three assists, and a steal, helping San Miguel to the come-from-behind 100-92 victory for their second win in as many games.

The Adamson University product was glad to see his old teammates once more, and admitted that he actually waited to hear some words from NLEX head coach Yeng Guiao during the course of the match.

He didn’t receive any from his ‘ninong,’ though.

“Hinihintay ko na lang ‘yung mga salita ni Coach Yeng sa akin kanina pero wala naman,” he said in between chuckles.

“Thank God na walang salitang kung anuman sa akin. Pero yun ang hinihintay ko kanina e.’yung kay Coach Yeng.”

The Road Warriors will definitely have a special place in Cruz’s heart. He played there for three years, which began in 2019 as he arrived via trade — a deal that ended his short yet tumultuous stint with the TNT Tropang Giga.

But now, he’s happy being with the league’s winningest team. Cruz is particularly glad about how the crew has been jelling so far after a season that saw many changes, including the end of the ‘Death Five.’

“Kasi nung natalo kami sa Meralco, siguro one week lang kami nagpahinga, tapos back to practice na kami, Dun pa lang nakikita namin na ‘yung chemistry namin sa isa’t-isa, nakukuha namin, ‘yung bonding namin as a team,” he said. “Kumbaga nagje-jel kami as one.

“As for myself, medyo kabisado ko na ‘yung laro ng mga teammates ko, kung saan ako pupunta, kung ano ‘yung role ko. Nakakabisado ko na, kaya medyo nakaka-adjust na ako ngayon.”

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