San Miguel’s Juami Tiongson breaks silence on heated exchange with TNT’s Almond Vosotros

San Miguel Beermen’s veteran shooting guard Juami Tiongson is not known for getting involved in emotionally charged spats or on-court altercations. He’s typically recognized for being mild-mannered and composed.

However, in a move that was completely out of character, Tiongson became involved in an on-court spat with TNT Tropang Giga’s Almond Vosotros during Game 4 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals, where the Beermen earned a 105–91 win on Sunday, July 20, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

In a rekindling of their old collegiate rivalry, the 34-year-old Tiongson had a brief altercation with Vosotros that led to both players receiving technical fouls with under four minutes left in the first quarter. Tiongson also endured jeers and taunts from TNT fans throughout the game, prompting him to stick out his tongue in their direction at one point.

Despite the tension, Tiongson downplayed the incident, describing it as nothing more than friendly competition.

“Wala naman ‘yun—friendly competition, I guess. Kaibigan ko naman si Almond. Wala lang ‘yun. Inunahan niya kasi ako, so bumawi lang ako. Oo, naririnig ko ‘yung pang-aasar ng fans. Pero it’s all part of the game. ‘Yun ang nagpapaganda sa laro natin—‘yung kantsawan. Pero after the game, it’s all in the past,” Tiongson told the media.

COLLEGE RIVALRY? 🤔

Both Almond Vosotros and Juami Tiongson absorb a technical foul after a heated exchange in the opening frame of the Game 4 battle between TNT and San Miguel in the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup Finals.#PBASeason49 #PBAAngatAngLaban #PBAFinals pic.twitter.com/522QeG4gTe

— One Sports (@OneSportsPHL) July 20, 2025

The sharpshooter admitted that he made a conscious decision to shift gears and be more aggressive in Game 4 to match the energy of Chris Ross, Jericho Cruz, and the rest of the San Miguel squad.

“It’s more of—I just wanted to be aggressive today. Kasi the last three games, medyo off ako. I couldn’t find my rhythm. So it was nice lang to make my first shot,” he added.

Currently, Tiongson is focused on helping the Beermen secure yet another Philippine Cup title, as they head into Game 5 on Wednesday, July 23.

“We take it one game at a time. We know naman na capable pa rin ang TNT. We wanna make sure we end it on Wednesday,” Tiongson concluded.

It remains to be seen whether Juami Tiongson can capture the first PBA championship of his career with San Miguel by the end of the tournament.

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