PRIZED new additions Juami Tiongson and Andreas Cahilig promptly made a big impact for defending champion San Miguel Beer against Phoenix last Tuesday night.
Tiongson and Cahilig, acquired from the Terrafirma Dyip for Beermen veterans Terrence Romeo and Vic Manuel, should give SMB more depth and boost its outside artillery, according to coach Jorge Gallent.
“It gave us the depth, shooting-wise,” Gallent said. “It helps June Mar and Marcio (Lassiter) a lot because they added firepower from the outside.
“Now we have guys who can shoot the treys and penetrate. Andreas is a good defender and Juami also,” he added.
Gallent spoke after his wards held off the Fuel Masters 107-104 in their opening game in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
Tiongson had eight points—including a clutch three-pointer in crunch time that kept SMB’s gritty fourth-quarter fightback from a 16-point deficit.
Cahilig fired 12 markers, counting three straight triples that roused the Beermen from a deep slumber.
“I was expecting them to play how they played when they were in Terrafirma,” Gallent said. “I told them before the game to just play how you guys are playing in Terrafirma and you guys should do okay here.”
CJ Perez showed the way for the Beermen with 18 points while Marcio Lassiter added 15 markers, none bigger than the left-corner jumper that gave SMB a 105-104 buffer in the last 2.6 seconds.
Import Quincy Miller and Don Trollano also had 14 each for SMB.
Phoenix failed to make up for a 109-111 loss to Meralco last Friday and dropped to 0-3.
“These guys are coming and playing, we’re just trying to make them fit. We’re doing a good job trying to involve them and trust them,” Lassiter said of his new teammates.
“That’s the biggest thing with our team, trusting each one and everybody and making sure that we play together and tonight, we actually played a lot better.”
What do you do to a perennial title contender who fell short in the semifinals of the last conference? Make it stronger.
