Jordan Heading drops 30 as Converge beats Meralco for fourth straight win

Jordan Heading dropped 30 points as Converge defeated Meralco, 110-94, on Wednesday, Christmas Day, in the PBA Commissioner's Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Heading drilled four out of six triples en route to the explosive outing as he towed the FiberXers to their fourth straight win in the conference.

Converge led by as much as 20, 94-74, with less than eight minutes remaining in the fourth period before the Bolts inched closer, 102-88, at the 2:57 mark. However, freebies from Heading and a basket from import Cheick Diallo further widened the gap, while Justin Arana's back-to-back baskets with less than two minutes left sealed the victory.

It was all Converge from the get-go as they led 22-6 past the halfway mark of the first period before the first half closed in its favor, 58-41.

For head coach Franco Atienza, the win was more significant as the FiberXers defeated a championship-caliber team like the Bolts.

"This is a championship-caliber team and medyo they were plagued with injuries," Atienza said. "Maybe we were lucky they were not at their best form although they really competed now and medyo na-challenge din kami."

Aside from Heading's explosive outing, the Converge guard also had eight assists and six rebounds.

While dropping big numbers is not necessarily new for him, Heading said he is also just trying to make the best decisions while on the floor.

"I think it just kinda took me a few games to get going, to get in game shape so I'm excited to be there, to be finding my groove," Heading said. "I'm thankful to the coaching staff and management for having the trust in me, to give me the responsibility to have the ball in my hands and I take that responsibility seriously. I'm not just trying to get my own buckets but I'm also trying to make the best decisions for my team."

Diallo had 24 points, 19 rebounds, three assists, and two blocks, while Justine Baltazar had 16 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and a steal, as Converge improved to 6-2.

Import Akil Mitchell had 29 points, 18 rebounds, an assist, and a block, while Bong Quinto led the Meralco locals in scoring with 23 points. The Bolts suffered their second consecutive loss as they slipped to 3-2.

Scores:

Converge 110 – Heading 30, Diallo 24, Baltazar 16, Winston 11, Stockton 10, Arana 7, Andrada 5, Racal 3, Delos Santos 2, Santos 2, Fornillos 0, Nieto 0, Ambohot 0, Caralipio 0, Javillonar 0.

Meralco 94 – Mitchell 29, Quinto 23, Hodge 10, Newsome 9, Banchero 6, Maliksi 5, Reyson 3, Pascual 3, Black 2, Rios 2, Caram 2, Torres 0.

Quarters: 26-20, 58-41, 85-66, 110-94.

—JKC, GMA Integrated News