THINGS got heated between Mark Barroca and Adrian Nocum on Wednesday during Magnolia’s clash against Rain or Shine in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
Barroca and Nocum were each slapped with technical fouls with 5.7 seconds left in the contest as the two battled for position during a crucial jumpball while having a heated verbal exchange.
The two later played down the incident, although Barroca said he reacted the way he did after he got kneed by Nocum during the incident.
“Part of competition ‘yun, wala naman ‘yun. Tapos na ‘yun, sa game lang, move forward na lang. Kay Adrian, wag lang kasi hindi naman ako nang-aano sa kanya. Tough player ako pero ayoko nung binu-bully ako tapos mas bata pa sa akin.
"Pero okay na sa akin ‘yun. Tapos na ‘yun. Kilala ko naman ‘yun,” said Barroca.
Barroca admitted he also got carried away by the intensity of the game which Magnolia eventually lost, 102-100, to slip to their fourth straight defeat. But he had good things to say about Nocum afterwards.
READ Gritty Rain or Shine comeback piles more woes on Magnolia
“Natuhod niya ako,” said the 38-year-old Barroca when asked what happened. “Charley horse [cramps or muscle spasm] nga ako. Nagulat ako. Wala naman ‘yun, game lang ‘yung intensity ng game. Hindi natin alam ‘yung nangyayari. Gigil tayo manalo.”
“Magaling naman ‘yung bata. Nadala lang siguro sa game. Pati ako nadala. Gusto lang natin manalo,” said the usually mild-mannered Magnolia veteran.
When asked for his side, the 25-year-old Nocum said he was only trying his best to get an advantage in the positioning during the jumpball for fear that Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao might get angry at him.
“Ang nangyari po, naunahan niya kasi ako sa bilog sa puwesto. Sa isip ko, kapag nakuhanan ako ni Kuya Mark, yari ako kay Coach Yeng. Kaya ginawa ko, pumuwesto din ako. Hindi ko inexpect na magagalit siya. Pero wala naman ‘yun,” said Nocum.
Nocum said he and Barroca let bygones be bygones even shortly after the incident.
“Kahit pagkatapos, nung inaano na kami ng referee, sabi niya, 'Wala na ‘yun.' Normal lang po ‘yun,” said Nocum.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
