Photo by Tristan Tamayo/ INQUIRER.net
With Magnolia back in the Finals for the first time in four years, Mark Barroca couldn’t help but see a young version of himself in teammate Jio Jalalon.
“I see my younger self in Jio when I was starting in the PBA. He’s really aggressive on defense. Even if he gets hurt, he keeps on fighting and I’m really proud that he’s my teammate,” said Barroca.
Barroca has been serving mentor for Jalalon since the pesky guard arrived to the Hotshots last season, where they failed to make it past the semifinals.
This time, the Hosthots are going to be their first Finals stint since the 2014 Governors’ Cup and the duo was instrumental in closing out the Road Warriors in Game 6 on Tuesday as they nabbed the crucial stops in the last two minutes.
Barroca first read the passing lanes and halted Kiefer Ravena’s pass before going on a two-man game with Jalalon and finishing with the three-point play to give Magnolia the 94-89 advantage in the last 1:32. Jalalon followed suit, swiping the ball off Larry Fonacier and going straight for the lay-up to take a 96-89 lead with 1:25 remaining.
After tireless one-on-one sessions in practice, both Barroca and Jalalon are just relieved that their partnership are finally doing wonders.
“Back then when we were making the Finals with James (Yap), I was the young guy,” he said. “That’s the same with Jio now. He’s helping the team because of our balanced attack. We know Paul (Lee) is the one carrying the team, but Jio and I are just there to help him in any way we can.”
The young guard, meanwhile, is grateful to be teaming up with one of the league’s top guards.
“It feels so great because I know how he plays. I understand his tendencies, [and that help since we play] a fast-paced game where we get our offense off of our defense. When I’m with kuya Mark, it’s easy to play basketball.”
After numerous heartaches in the semifinals just last season, the two guards agree that they Hotshots are ready for primetime against a powerhouse in San Miguel. Thei best-of-seven-series starts on Friday.
“We’re so hungry from our frustrations in our past failures in the semis. Now that we’re here, this isn’t just our goal. Now that we’re over the hump, our target is to win in the Finals,” said Barroca.
“We already have the experience, but we’ll work hard for this. It’s not going to be easy to beat San Miguel, but we both have five players on the court and we promise that we’ll really work hard for it,” Jalalon said.