THE PBA visits Zamboanga City for the first time in a long while this weekend, bringing proud son Mark Barroca and his Magnolia teammates trying to stretch their perfect start in Season 49 Philippine Cup.
Also making a homecoming in his beloved city in the Zamboanga Peninsula heartland is RR Garcia with his Phoenix Super LPG team which is to challenge the streaking Hotshots in a Saturday face-off set for tip-off at 7:30 p.m.
It's an interesting setto in this rare PBA gig in Zamboanga, a hotbed for basketball down South, having produced other known cagers in Alfonso Marquez back in the MICAA days, Jay Mendoza of Red Bull and Shell, and other next generation PBA players in Rudy Lingganay, Gec Chia and the Tolomia brothers.
Much of the attention will surely be on Barroca and Garcia, former FEU pals who've journeyed to the pros and very much active in their 30s.
Barroca sets out for a show in front of his kababayans fresh from his heroics in their 98-95 nail-biter in overtime versus San Miguel Beer before the PBA Holy Week break.
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The Magnolia ace backcourt player was 0-of-8 from the field in a tough struggle until he drilled in back-to-back big baskets in the closing seconds, lifting the Hotshots to a third win in as many games in the season-ending all-Filipino tourney.
Garcia, meanwhile, had his contribution as the Fuel Masters rose from a 0-2 hole, notching a first win in a 109-97 drubbing of the Meralco Bolts three nights earlier.
Both sides were happy to go through a breather coming from a win.
For Magnolia coach Chito Victolero, it's a good test to measure where they stand now.
"We need this kind of game, an overtime game, a grinding game to test our character and to test kung nasaan kami ngayon at this stage of the league," said Victolero.
"Sabi ko sa kanila (to his players), bonus na nanalo kami dahil matagal 'yung magiging pahinga namin," Victolero added.
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For the Fuel Masters, it's a welcome triumph ending a spate of setbacks.
"In our pre-game, we talked about our situation. We were doing all the right things - going to practice early, doing extra, following the coaches - but we just couldn't get the results we wanted," shared Phoenix coach Jamike Jarin.
"And the answer was 'having fun.' Probably we were pressuring ourselves too much na I'm doing all the work, how come I'm not making my shots, how come I'm making bad decisions? So we all just gathered together and had fun and played our game and stayed together."
And the Fuel Masters intend to keep that attitude and posture as they seek another win to bring their record to 2-2. (SB)
