MAKING his first PBA semifinals in a while is equal parts joy and relief for guard Juami Tiongson.
As San Miguel became the first team to make the Philippine Cup Final Four, Tiongson couldn’t help but be grateful for the new phase in his pro career that will have the former Ateneo player suiting up in the semis for the first time in eight years.
Tiongson had a huge hand in making that possible as he contributed 19 points in the 108-97 win of the top-seeded Beermen that dethroned the Meralco Bolts as all-Filipino Cup champions.
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The Friday game at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium was the first playoff appearance for the 34-year-old guard since last season’s edition of the Philippine Cup while he was still with Terrafirma.
Now he’s bound to his second semifinals stint - and first since his semis debut in the 201-18 Philippine Cup as an NLEX player.
“Excited and at the same time, alam natin na high pressure kasi everybody expects us to win,” said Tiongson.
“But I look forward to it. Kasi for me, hinahanap ko talaga yung mga big games kasi doon mo malalaman and masusukat yung sarili mo when the pressure is high, when the stakes are high. So I look forward to it.”
The Beermen will take on No. 4 Barangay Ginebra in the semis starting on Wednesday.
This one is actually Tiongson’s first semis with San Miguel, which acquired him in a mid-season trade with Terrafirma along with Andreas Cahilig for the duo of Terrence Romeo and Vic Manuel.
Unfortunately, the Beermen failed to make the playoffs in his first conference with the team during the Commissioner’s Cup.
Tiongson admitted getting frustrated by it.
“Siyempre kasi expected ko San Miguel automatic playoff na,” he said with a smile. “Pero I guess lahat ng teams ngayon nag-level up na. Kaya every game, high intensity parati no matter kung sino ang kalaban namin.
“But that’s a good preparation for us and myself na rin.”
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