Mark Barroca came out of the Star Hotshots dugout Wednesday night carrying bags of ice, the area around his right eye swollen and half shut as if it was a boxer’s face battered by Manny Pacquiao, and with a bandage covering the right side of his forehead which required stitches after being hit inadvertently during the first quarter of their game against Mahindra.
It wasn’t one of his best nights, obviously, but fortunately for Barroca, he didn’t have to shoulder the burden of a loss as the Hotshots drew a spark from another Mark: rookie Mark Cruz.
The 30th overall pick of the 2015 PBA Rookie Draft delivered with a career game, scoring 18 points on 3-for-6 three-point shooting in 22 minutes of play to help Star win, 86-73.
Cruz said he already expected to be used a bit longer than the usual with James Yap (calf strain) nursing an injury. But with Barroca needing medical attention in the first half, Cruz checked in way earlier than he expected.
Cruz added he felt pressure early on, although recovered quickly, thanks to the team’s massive trust in the diminutive point guard.
“Bago pa man mag-start yung game, sinabihan niya ako na mag-ready kasi tatlong guards lang kami. Pero hindi ko nga inexpect na matatamaan si Mark (Barroca) so napaaga yung pasok. Syempre yung pressure andoon, pero andiyan yung mga teammates ko na sinasabi mag-relax lang, wag ma-pressure, wag maging tight. Okay naman, naka-recover sa second half,” Cruz said.
“May tiwala lang si coach. Sinuklian ko lang ng magandang performance. Nag pay-off naman. They are helping me to step up. Lagi nila sinasabi kapag open ako, tira ko lang. Yung suporta na yun, malaking bagay sa akin yun.”
Cruz knew how important the win-or-go-home affair was, and he did his best not to disappoint. Cruz poured 14 points in the fourth period, hitting three after three to help the Hotshots maintain separation and eventually secure the play-off spot in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
“Ganoong kabigat yung pressure. No mistakes eh. As a rookie, kailangan maganda mabigay kong contribution. Kailangan talaga mag-step up,” he said.
Such performance in a do-or-die game earned the praise of Star head coach Jason Webb.
“It doesn’t matter what place you (have) coming into the playoffs. Even if we are in a twice to win disadvantage, at least we’re there. We’re fighting, buhay pa kami. All credit to the talent these guys have and the heart these players have,” Webb said.
Barroca himself opted to continue playing despite a nasty cut, and although he misfired and finished with only five points, the veteran guard facilitated well and played great defense.
“Mark (Barroca) isn’t going to say no to play. First time I looked at him, I asked, sigurado ka ba? Because that guy is not going to say no. His eye was shut. And he still played well. Grabe puso nung mga bata,” Webb shared, adding he feels “lucky to be coaching these guys.”
“They just showed heart in that game,” Webb said.
Photos courtesy of PBA Images
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