Rolling to 6th straight win, TNT ‘not rushing’ Jordan Heading debut

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Newly acquired guard Jordan Heading hopes to get healthy 'as soon as possible' as he looks to help TNT in its Grand Slam quest

MANILA, Philippines – Currently the hottest team in the PBA Philippine Cup, TNT is bound to get even stronger.

The Tropang Giga rolled to their sixth straight win after giving Blackwater a 108-82 beating at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium on Friday, June 6, as newly acquired guard Jordan Heading watched from the bench.

Still dealing with back issues, Heading sat out the blowout, but his addition through a trade from Converge in exchange for Mikey Williams provides optimism for a team seeking to accomplish a rare Grand Slam.

“I’ll do what I can do, hopefully get to game shape as soon as possible, hopefully get healthy as soon as possible,” said Heading.

“Whatever I can do to help them achieve that, I’m going to try and do. It is an exciting prospect.”

It is uncertain when Heading will debut for TNT, but the hope is he will be able to suit up against Barangay Ginebra on Sunday, June 8 — a clash featuring the teams that tangled in the finals of the first two conferences this season.

Tropang Giga head coach Chot Reyes, though, said the team is “not rushing.”

“My mentality, our team’s mentality, is to play our last games with who we have. If Jordan joins us, that’s great,” said Reyes.

With Heading still sidelined, Simon Enciso showed the TNT backcourt is in good hands.

Enciso torched the Bossing with 19 points as he shot 5-of-7 from three-point land to lead six Tropang Giga players in double-figure scoring.

Veteran big man Kelly Williams put up 15 points and 7 rebounds, Calvin Oftana fired 14 points, Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser contributed 12 points and 5 rebounds, while Poy Erram added 11 points and 6 rebounds.

Kim Aurin chipped in 10 points, 4 steals, and 3 assists for TNT, which hasn’t lost since a 0-3 start and tied Ginebra and Rain or Shine at fourth place (6-3), behind NLEX (8-2), San Miguel Beer (6-2), and Magnolia (7-3).

Christian David paced Blackwater with a double-double of 13 points and 13 rebounds in the loss which marked their sixth straight defeat and eighth overall in nine games.

The Scores

TNT 108 – Enciso 19, K.Williams 15, Oftana 14, Ganuelas-Rosser 12, Erram 11, Aurin 10, Pogoy 9, Khobuntin 6, Vosotros 6, Nieto 4, Ebona 2, Heruala 0, Varilla 0.

Blackwater 82 – David 13, Barefield 13, Mallilin 9, AYonayon 9, Ilagan 8, Tratter 6, Chua 6, Caperal 5, Andrade 3, Mitchell 2, Guinto 2, Escoto 2, Corteza 2, Jopia 2, Casio 0.

Quarters: 24-22, 54-40, 87-61, 108-82.

– Rappler.com