These two guys came and did their job. But Tiongson and the Dyip could not be denied.
Juami Tiongson of the Terrafirma Dyip paid Paul Varilla and Jaydee Tungcab a compliment in the aftermath of the Dyip’s 104-92 win over TNT Tropang Giga in the PBA On Tour on Wednesday.
The Dyip main man said the two made things rough for him, especially in the first half, where Terrafirma trailed by as many as 13 points.
“They treated it like a regular season game. They really defended me well,” Tiongson said after the match at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig.
“Even when I was trying to go to my position, talagang nandun sila. Credit to them for making it hard for me,” Tiongson added.
But it didn’t seem that way in the last 24 minutes.
In Terrafirma’s very first play after the halftime break, Tiongson drilled a heavily contested triple in the left corner against Varilla. Things went the Dyip’s way since then as they turned a four-point deficit into a breakaway.
The Dyip outscored TNT in the third quarter, 42-25.
Tiongson ended up with an all-around game of 21 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block. Like any good leader, the crafty guard said it was a collective effort.
He was on point. Four other Dyip finished in double figures, with Ed Daquioag and Isaac Go chipping in 16 and 15 points, respectively. Andreas Cahilig and Allen Mina had 11 and 10.
“Compared to the first half, we really moved the ball (in the second half). We played as a team. Everyone’s touching the ball. Everyone had rhythm,” he said.
The Dyip will be looking to sustain this fiery form in the coming games, with Tiongson sure to lead the way.
(MDB)