Once teammates, former Terrafirma stars Holt and Tiongson hope to meet again in playoffs

Stephen Holt and Juami Tiongson were once the stars of a very promising Terrafirma squad, but the two had to go their separate ways after the Dyip forged deals with Barangay Ginebra and San Miguel last year.

Together, they helped lead the franchise on a run that saw them come close to eliminating the twice-to-beat Beermen during the quarterfinals round of Season 48 Philippine Cup by winning the series opener. San Miguel, though, got its act together in the decider and eked out a 110-91 victory to advance to the next round.

But they didn't have the chance to continue improving the fortunes of their Terrafirma team.

This as Holt, alongside another Terrafirma core player in Isaac Go, was sent to the Gin Kings in exchange for Christian Standhardinger and Stenley Pringle in a trade while Tiongson was recently shipped to San Miguel together with sharp-shooting forward Andreas Cahilig,

While their partnership didn't last long, the two are hoping to reach the playoffs anew, only this time opposite each other with two different squads.

"It was great. We joked before the game, [I’m] joking with him with ‘hey, we look good in red, right?’. But I wish we’re wearing the same color red but again, it’s a great team for him and the same with Dre (Cahilig)," Holt said.

"They both had their moments tonight in the game. I wish them well and wish them to stay healthy and hopefully, we’ll meet them later in the playoffs."

In their first game against each other wearing their new Ginebra and San Miguel uniforms, Holt got the better of Tiongson after the Gin Kings pulled off a convincing 93-81 victory on Sunday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Holt played a huge role in the win, churning out 15 points to supply the help to Troy Rosario and Justin Brownlee, who tallied 22 and 19 markers.

Tiongson was also big for the Beermen despite the team absorbing their fourth loss in seven games, as he posted 12 points together with five rebounds and five assists.

"Para lang akong naglalaro sa Terrafirma. Syempre good exposure, sarap sa pakiramdam. Mas okay sana kung nanalo kami pero I'm sure sa playoffs magkikita ulit kami," Tiongson shared.

[It's just like I'm still playing in Terrafirma. Good exposure, it feels great. It would have been better if we won but I'm sure in the playoffs, we'll see each other again.]

Holt could not help to think about 'what could have been' had they all stayed with Terrafirma.

However, Holt understands the business side of things and said they are just happy with where they are now.

"That’s what we were talking about as we walked on to the floor—we were like what could have been if we kept the core together. But you can only control what you can control," Holt said.

"Again, we’re just trying to make the best of our situation. What could have been in Terrafirma, we’ll never know. I’m just trying to move on in my next chapter in the PBA and just help Ginebra win many games and hopefully many championships. That’s what I’m here for."

—JMB, GMA Integrated News