Hounded by back problems, Heading makes most of semis chance
Jordan Heading could’ve taken the cautious route and sat out Game 1 of TNT’s PBA Philippine Cup semifinal series against Rain or Shine on Wednesday night.
But he recognized an opportunity when he saw it.
With the Tropang Giga chasing a third straight crown this season, the seasoned deadshot, who also served the Gilas Pilipinas program at one point, stepped into the moment at Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City and played through a nagging back problem to help the Grand Slam-seeking telco club gain a headstart in its Final Four duel against the hard-nosed, fast-rising Elasto Painters.
Heading finished with 11 points, three rebounds, and an assist in TNT’s 98-91 victory—a solid contribution for someone still managing a recurring injury that’s plagued him since his Converge days.
“My back definitely felt better than it did [in the] last game against Magnolia,” said Heading, who has been dealing with persistent back spasms that initially sidelined him earlier this season when he was still at Converge.
“So I’m still just trying to limit my minutes and just kind of let that back, kind of get back to normal. So hopefully that happens pretty quickly,” he added.
TNT, for its part, has gone all-in to get its newest reinforcement back to full strength. An overseas veteran who knows a thing or two about elite care, Heading said the team has been “literally throwing everything at it—[from] chiropractors, physios, everything we could think of.”
“Every waking moment, I’m also doing whatever I can to make the spasms go down,” he said.
“I hit the ground a few times, but I think at the very end of the game against Magnolia, it kind of, like, on that contact with the ground, it kind of spasmed up again. And that’s kind of what I’m dealing with.”
Still, with a golden chance to help push a proud franchise closer to history, Heading soldiered on—making the most of his first taste of PBA Final Four basketball at the bayside venue.
“It feels good,” he said with a smile. “Actually my first time playing at Moa. Unbelievable venue. Super fun game. I’m excited for the series to keep going.”
Heading doesn’t intend to ease off anytime soon—especially not against a Rain or Shine crew whose confidence is still high after stunning twice-to-beat NLEX in the previous round.
“They’re always a tough team to face in a series because they play with great pace and aggressiveness,” he noted. “The way they crash the offensive glass is quite impressive. So we’ve got to take care of that, take care of their transition every single game. That’s what they want to do—they want to run.”
“It’s hard to stop,” he added, “but it’s what we’ve got to do if we want to win the series.”
