No matter how strange Friday night’s Game Five of the 2019 PBA Philippine Cup Finals was because of “Spiderman” showing up out of nowhere, it still became Mark Barroca’s shining moment.
The veteran guard displayed nerves of steel in the endgame, coolly sinking a mid-range jumper off a shot fake as the final buzzer sounded, to lift Magnolia past San Miguel, 88-86.
Barroca finished with a game-high 22 points, on top of five rebounds, five assists, a steal, and a block.
“Nasa isip ko rin, kung mag-overtime pa yun, mahihirapan na kami, baka marami pang mangyari. Sabi nga namin, [kung] last shot makuha namin, kukunin talaga namin,” said the eight-year pro.
“Salamat sa Panginoon, nakuha namin yung chance na nakuha nga namin.”
That shot meant a lot for the Hotshots.
It not only gave them the series lead over the Beermen – it also moved them on the cusp of bagging the coveted All-Filipino crown. That shot brought Magnolia within a victory of ousting San Miguel in the Philippine Cup throne, which the Beermen have held for four long years.
Still, Barroca isn’t letting himself be carried away with the possibilities. He’s just glad to see Magnolia turn this tilt around, since they have gone from being underdogs to reaching for the title.
The Hotshots had themselves a perilous journey en route to the championship bout, as they overcame deficits both in the quarterfinals and in the semis before earning the right to face SMB.
“Underdog kami lagi. Underdog talaga kami – quarterfinals, semifinals. Kami lang talaga sa grupo namin naniniwala kami, basta nanimiwala kami maraming nangyayari,” said the Grand Slam winner.
“Kaya nga battle cry namin ‘Believe’ eh.”
