For the last three years, the duo of Javee Mocon and Robert Bolick have been legendary.
Behind the two stalwarts, San Beda won three NCAA championships, a Filoil crown, and a PBA D-League title.
But on Friday night, the two were no longer fighting in the same colors. Mocon and the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters were taking on Bolick and the NorthPort Batang Pier.
And Mocon admitted that it felt weird.
“Weird feeling. Every game dati, lagi kaming nagtutulungan. Ngayon, bakbakan na sa loob. It’s all business na talaga when you’re on the court,” shared Mocon, as he and Bolick had even submitted their draft applications together.
“Wala namang personalan. Competitive kami parehas. We’re both competitors.”
On the other hand, Bolick was less sentimental after the game.
The gunslinging combo guard can’t concern himself with much else, since NorthPort lost to Rain or Shine, 100-107 – their second straight defeat, which dropped their win-loss record to 2-2.
“Wala. Walang feeling kasi talo.“
In terms of individual performances, Bolick emerged as the better players, since he made nine points, six assists, two rebounds, and a steal in 36 minutes.
That is notches higher than Mocon’s numbers, since he only had two points, two rebounds, and an assist in 16 minutes.
Mocon admitted that there was extreme eagerness on his part to deliver right away, and not just because he was facing Bolick. But now, he looks to learn how to control his aggressiveness in the Elasto Painters’s next games.
“I think every game, yun ang problem ko eh. Going to the game, I want to magpakita na agad. I think I have to learn from that.”
