Pain won’t stop Mark Barroca from helping Magnolia take down San Miguel
MANILA, Philippines—Magnolia guard Mark Barroca is uncertain about his status for Friday night’s Game 2 of the 2019 PBA Philippine Cup Finals against San Miguel Beer.
Barroca hurt his right foot with under a minute left in Game 1 after Beermen forward Arwind Santos landed on it during a scramble for the loose ball.
“I don’t know yet if I’ll be able to play,” said Barroca in Filipino after the Hotshots survived with a 99-94 win on Wednesday at Araneta Coliseum.
“I’ve been in this situation before but I know they need me on the floor. I just have to show my fighting spirit and be a warrior because you need to be a complete team when you’re up against a team like San Miguel. You need leadership and I’m one of the leaders on this team.”
That’s exactly what he did in Game 1 as she shrugged off the pain on his foot and went on to finish the game.
The 33-year-old Barroca, who is one of the league’s most durable players, wound up with 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field, three assists and two steals as Magnolia’s guards outplayed their counterparts.
