For a team known for its tough defense, giving up 41 points in one quarter is a “mortal sin.”
Magnolia playmaker Mark Barroca rued their defensive lapses against San Miguel Beer in Game 1 of their Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup best-of-seven finals series last Friday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The veteran playmaker admitted that they played sluggish defensively in the second quarter, allowing 41 points, laced with six three-pointers, that gave the Beermen enough cushion and the momentum to dictate the tempo the rest of the way.
“It’s a mortal sin,” Barroca said.
“We cannot win if we give up 41 points in a quarter, especially against a team like San Miguel.”
Barroca said giving up 41 points in a quarter is quite odd, especially to a team like them.
“I cannot remember a time when a team scored 41 against us while I’m playing,” said Barroca, who is looking forward to a better defensive performance in Game 2 on Sunday.
“This is probably the only time. I cannot imagine that they scored that big against us.”
“Now, we need to regroup. This is just one game. We move forward in the series. The sooner we forget about this, the better for us.”
Still, Barroca remains hopeful that they can still bounce back, especially after seeing the third group in Joseph Eriobu, Jed Mendoza and Russell Escoto stepping up and showing their eagerness to win.
