NETIZENS ask: “What is the real score?” Whether that is a basketball or a relationship question, Rain or Shine star Caelan Tiongson can answer it as he clears the air about him and BINI Aiah Arceta.
Tiongson, a 32-year-old PBA player, has recently made waves after being linked to a well-known P-pop girl group member who attended one of their semifinals games versus TNT Tropang Giga.
In fairness, you rarely see a BINI member attend a basketball game, especially in the PBA. However, after a few days of speculation on social media, the Elasto Painter attempted to clarify the air and address the rumors.
Here’s the Real Score
In an interview with the media following their hard-fought triumph in Game 3 of the Commissioner’s Cup semifinals, Tiongson discussed his friendship with BINI Aiah and how they met.
“Like I said before, I met Aiah through a mutual friend at church and all I’m going to say is that she’s a really great person, but I’m not gonna speak on her personal life anymore than that,” Tiongson said on how their friendship began.
Screenshot from: TikTok
With the opportunity presented, the 6-foot-5 forward was asked if he is a certified “bloom,” as BINI fans are known, and responded with a huge smile, “I am a BINI fan, for sure, love their music.”
It’s evident that Tiongson would prefer that both of their fans respect Arceta’s privacy and focus on their friendship rather than fuelling the conjecture, no matter how intense the curiosity was.
With BINI’s continuous success in the P-pop industry and Tiongson making waves in his professional basketball career, supporters of both are celebrating their mutual support and appreciation.
Back to the Ball Game
Rumors aside, the Elasto Painters eventually get on the board with a 103-98 victory over the Tropang Giga. Import Deon Thompson led the squad with a double-double of 19 points and 15 rebounds.
Meanwhile, Adrian Nocum, the team’s future star, continued his stellar performance, earning another Player of the Game honors with 16 points and eight rebounds, while Tiongson added 18 points.
After losing the previous two games by a combined six points, ROS head coach Yeng Guiao is thrilled to see his side finally get their first win of the series and hopes to push the series to the brink.
“We’re hoping we can push this series into a long series. At least ngayon, naka-2-1 kami. That means minimum of five games na ‘to. Gusto namin umabot ng seven games eh,” Guiao said after the game.
“We’re physically and mentally prepared to play seven games in this series. We designed our management of our minutes to be able to still be fresh for a Game 7. But for now, isa-isa muna,” he added.
The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters will try to extend their Cinderella run by tying the series 2-2 tomorrow, March 5, 2025, in the fourth game of their best-of-seven series against the TNT Tropang Giga.
