CHICAGO - Restrained by lingering back spasms, Jordan Heading has made little impact in the first three games of TNT's grueling PBA Philippine Cup semifinals duel versus rugged Rain or Shine.
And while the Tropang 5G have somehow taken a 2-1 series lead entering the crucial Game Four last Wednesday, Heading contributed only 10.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game/
And his shooting clip was abysmal - 0-for-3 from 4, 4-for-14 from 3, and 9-of-26 overall.
But with his team's Grand Slam bid facing another acid test, bodies dropping like flies, Heading answered the bell in a way which reminded us that he is an elite player with stripes in the NBL in Australia and the Japan BLeague.
The Fil-Aussie put together his best outing in a TNT jersey with 23 points, five rebounds and six assists in 26 minutes and 29 seconds of action. He hit 8-of-12 shots, including 1-of-1 from 4 and 4-of-6 from 3.
READ: TNT one win away from another PBA Finals after win over RoS
After powering the Tropang 5G to a 108-92 win and a 3-1 series lead, Heading made a quick 25-minute drive from the Mall of Asia Arena to his BGC apartment before talking to me on the telephone.
GROUP EFFORT.
"Felt amazing to hit shots like that in a huge game. But credit to all the guys, our backs against the wall at halftime and everybody from 1-12, responded like champions do," he said.
He pointed to that furious third quarter as the turning point of the tight contest that saw four deadlocks and 11 lead changes.
Trailing by six at halftime, 47-41, TNT detonated a 39-22 bomb to take an 80-69 advantage entering the fourth quarter, a cushion that eventually bloated to 95-76.
Already without Jayson Castro and Rey Nambatac, I asked the former Gilas Pilipinas soldier if the absence of Roger Pogoy made him feel pressured to step up and shine.
"Yes, 100 percent," he said. "Q (Brian Heruela) came back from injury, so it allowed me to go back to the 2 and play my normal position again. Obviously, we struggled in the last game, so I came in wanting to be more aggressive and shoot more shots than I have been lately."
Although he flexed like Ironman out there, impregnable and indestructible all at once, Heading isn't completely pain free.
GRINDING.
"No sir. But everyone is banged up. It's the playoffs. Just gotta fight through and still produce," he said.
As for his minutes restrictions, he described it as something devoid of any figure.
"Just go in and play when coach [Chot Reyes] tells me to," he explained.
Heading admits that inching closer to a finals berth and taking a wild swing at a triple-crown is exciting, but he cautioned against getting their feet off the gas pedal against a dangerous and well-coached adversary.
"Those guys are not the type that would just back down and die," Heading said of the intrepid Elasto Painters.
Consistently through several prior interviews, Heading had repeatedly the noble causes of team goals, team work, and team play.
From a personal standpoint, though, down deep inside he must have felt a sense of personal satisfaction after proving that when healthy, he is easily still one of the best guards in the entire PBA.
For God knows how long, the jury is still out to render judgement on which team won that blockbuster deal between Converge and TNT.
For now, though, as they are hot on the trail of a Grand Slam, the Tropang 5G have the clear upper hand.
Their acquired asset is not only playing well, Heading is balling at a championship level.
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