Heading drops 31 over Meralco as TNT reaches finals; SMB on the brink vs BGSM

Cornerstone import Jordan Heading made his intentions clear after exploding with 31 points to end TNT Tropang 5G’s semis series on a high note over the Meralco Bolts, while the San Miguel Beermen (SMB) tighten their grip for a finals showing as they survived Barangay Ginebra San Miguel (BGSM) in Game 5 of the PBA 50 Philippine Cup semis at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, Jan. 14.

Following their respective triumphs, TNT now ends its last dance with Meralco on a resounding 4–1 sheet as the Beermen’s future looks bright with a 3–2 card of their best-of-seven affair with Barangay Ginebra.

“Heading” the charge for TNT

Marching from a dominant Game 3 showing, Heading and company kept that momentum alive in the last dying minute as he downed a layup with less than 15 seconds left, 97–96, before Rey Banatac calmly delivered the final dagger on the charity stripe to seal a 99–96 victory.

Coming hot from the bench, Nambatac backstopped the 6’2” guard’s scoring rampage with 25 baskets and four boards alongside Matt Ganulas-Rosser’s 12 points to secure TNT’s fourth consecutive finals showing.

Odds were on Tropang 5G’s side all night on the free-throw line, thanks to Nambatac’s 11-of-11 freebies to amount to 89.6%, whereas the Bolts settled on a 65.4% outing. 

Despite rising point guard CJ Cansino’s game-high 36 points and Aaron Black’s 17 baskets, it wasn’t enough to restore Meralco’s winning rhythm late in the fourth quarter.

One shot away from another title defense

Poised to extend their reign, SMB tied up all loose ends in crunch time as they weathered a fourth-quarter resurgence by BGSM to escape a 115–109 thriller and stay on the hunt for the coveted finals ticket.

The Beermen’s 12-point cushion went all for naught as the Gin Kings went berserk in Rainbow Country behind Raymond Aguilar and Rhon Abarrientos’ dagger threes to whittle down the lead into single digits.

But it was June Fajardo and Mario Lassiter’s clutch antics that saved San Miguel from the brink of defeat as they calmly sank in two free throws apiece with just a second left to ice the lead.

Fajardo led the charge for BSM with a double-double built on 21 points and 11 rebounds as CJ Perez scattered 20 markers.

Meanwhile, Earl Thompson showed grace in defeat with 20 points and seven rebounds, while Abarrientos and Stephen Holt doled out 18 and 17 points, respectively, for the losing cause.

With reports from PBA.ph