The PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals between the TNT Tropang 5G and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel is now down to a best of three. And, according to Jordan Heading, it only means one thing: it’s basically a survival of the fittest moving forward.
This is also why rest is foremost in the Fil-Aussie’s mind heading into Game 5—and beyond.
“Right now, it’s getting rest. We’ve got to get rest,” Heading told Rebanse after TNT won Game 4 over Ginebra on Wednesday. “Coming down to the back end of the series, it’s about attrition and who can survive and who can still play the right way. So, we’ve got to make sure we can get off our feet and get some rest.”
The Tropa played the right way in Game 4, particularly in the second half. They swarmed all over Ginebra on defense, shutting down RJ Abarrientos completely with ball denials and aggressive traps. They also destroyed the Gin Kings on offense, mostly with the high pick and roll, which resulted in numerous open looks, both for the ball handler and the screener.
Heading Leads the Way
In Game 4, it was Heading who led the way for TNT with his team‑high 29 points. He was also among the lead ball handlers who navigated those high pick and rolls, which the Tropa ostensibly ran over and over to attack Abarrientos’s still‑suspect defense.
And, with Game 5 later tonight, best believe Chot Reyes and TNT will be banking on Heading once more as they attempt to seize the driver’s seat in this series. This is where that rest becomes crucial, as Heading and everyone else got barely 48 hours of it between Games 4 and 5.
Meaning, Game 5—and the rest of this championship series—might boil down to whichever team is more physically fit for the last couple of games of the Finals.
Or, like Heading said, it will now be a battle of attrition.
