Jordan Heading poured in 23 points as TNT Tropang 5G secured a twice-to-beat advantage in the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup quarterfinals with a 94-83 victory over Magnolia on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Heading’s driving layup with 5:39 remaining provided TNT the cushion it needed to keep Magnolia at bay, capping a strong finishing stretch in the penultimate elimination-round game.
Calvin Oftana added 17 points for the Tropang 5G, punctuating his performance with a three-pointer at the 2:34 mark that stretched TNT’s lead to 86-76 and effectively sealed the win.
The victory lifted TNT to an 8-3 win-loss record, good for third place heading into the quarterfinals, where the Tropang 5G will face the sixth-seeded team in next week’s playoffs with a twice-to-beat edge.
Magnolia, which dropped to 6-5, enters the quarterfinals carrying a twice-to-win disadvantage. Zavier Lucero led the Hotshots with 17 points in the loss.
