ANTIPOLO — Juami Tiongson won’t hide that he sometimes misses the feeling of being the linchpin on offense, just like during his time with Terrafirma.
But the seasoned guard has no complaints whatsoever about his role with San Miguel, taking it as a sign to grow as a player and as an individual at the same time, since he knows how stacked the long-time powerhouse has been.
“Siyempre, namimiss ko po ‘yun,” the one-time All-Star admitted, smiling. “Siyempre naman. Any basketball player naman mamimiss po yun. Pero siyempre, we also have to mature. I have to mature my game also.
“Kasi we all know naman na grabe ‘yung lalim ng bench namin–even nga si Jeron [Teng], hindi na nga nakakalaro, and we all know ano ‘yung kaya niyang gawin,” he added.
“So, who am I naman to complain, ‘di ba?”
That’s why Tiongson is always trying to make the most out of the opportunities he gets, and Game 2 of their PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup Finals series against TNT on Friday night at the Ynares Center here was solid proof of that.
He was part of Coach Leo Austria’s starting unit and went on to score all nine of his points in the opening period to help SMB to a 30-18 lead, which set the tone for the lopsided show as the reigning champs rolled to the 111-92 victory.
That’s, of course, a far better showing than in Game 1 last Wednesday, when he had only five points on five shots off the bench.
“Honestly, kung ano lang pong mabibigay ko,” he said of his game. “Alam ko naman po ‘yung role ko rito, especially in the Finals.
“Alam ko hindi naman ako makakakuha ng madaming minutes, but in any possible way, makatulong po ako,” added the former PBA D-League standout.
“Kasi pare-parehas lang naman–if we win, lahat naman po kami, masaya.”
Thanks to his early contributions, San Miguel has now tied the series at one game apiece, although Tiongson isn’t taking all the spotlight to himself.
“Honestly, ‘yung trust lang po na binibigay sa akin ng mga coaching staff, at tsaka ni Boss Al [Chua],” the 35-year-old guard from Ateneo said. “Si Boss Al, ine-encourage ako parati.
“Tsaka ‘yung mga teammates ko like sina C-Ross, everybody parang sabi, ‘Tira lang, kami bahala sa rebounds.’ Every time na pumapasok ako sa court, if may chance tumira, ‘yun na lang iniisip ko.”
#WATCH: ALAM KO YUNG ROLE KO 🏀
Juami Tiongson was grateful to have been given the starting nod in Game 2 of the #PBA50 Finals despite his struggles #ReadMore 👉 https://t.co/ASA0WEsaL1
📹 @justinebacnis /Tiebreaker Times pic.twitter.com/yqOdktwfLF
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) January 23, 2026
