Juami Tiongson was uncharacteristically extra aggressive and emotional in Game 4 of the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup Finals between San Miguel and TNT. But he didn’t let that ruin his flow.
Juami Tiongson doesn’t normally engage in an emotionally-charged spat with any player or fan, even when stakes are high.
He is mild-mannered, composed, and just about getting the job done night in and night out.
But Tiongson broke character in San Miguel’s 105-91 win over TNT in Game 4 of the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup Finals Sunday night, July 20.
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It all started with an altercation with TNT’s Almond Vosotros that saw them both incur a technical foul with under four minutes remaining in the first quarter.
Back to his normal self, Tiongson played down the encounter with his good friend from La Salle post-game.
“Wala naman 'yun, friendly competition, I guess. Kaibigan ko naman si Almond. Wala lang 'yun. Inunahan niya kasi ako so bumawi lang ako,” the former Ateneo standout said with a mischievous smile.
Then came the fans who hurled insults against him all-game long.
In response, he simply let out a tongue directed at the said TNT supporters and went on to do his business.
But the 5-foot-10 guard has been in basketball business long enough to know this is all part of the game, especially when the championship is on the line.
“Oo naririnig ko (pang-aasar ng fans). Pero it’s all part of the game. 'Yun nagpapaganda sa laro natin, 'yung kantsawan. Pero after the game it’s all in the past,” he said.
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Asked about the abrupt change in approach in Sunday’s tussle, Tiongson said he was only trying to raise his aggressiveness to match that of Chris Ross, Jericho Cruz, and the rest of the Beermen who know what it takes to win it all.
“It’s more of I just wanna be aggressive today. Kasi the last three games medyo off ako, I couldn’t find my rhythm. So it’s nice lang to make my first shot,” said Tiongson, who made the “silence” gesture to the Tropang 5G bench after making his first field goal in the opening period.
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Now Tiongson shifts his focus to helping the Beermen reclaim the tag as Philippine Cup kings when Game 5 rolls along on Wednesday, July 23.
“We take it one game at a time still. we know naman na capable pa rin ang TNT. We wanna make sure we end it on Wednesday, hopefully,” he said.
(With reports from Gillian Trinidad)