Thirdy Ravena soars in Japan B. League debut, targets improvement
MANILA, Philippines — Three-time UAAP champion Thirdy Ravena had a more than satisfactory debut for the San-En NeoPhoenix in the Japan B. League on Saturday.
Playing his first-ever professional basketball game eight months removed from his last legitimate 5-on-5 game, Ravena showed little to no rust with a 13-point game against Shimane Susanoo Magic in NeoPhoenix's 83-82 escape win.
His first basket in the Japanese league one to remember, a two-handed dunk that came early in the opening quarter.
Welcome to the B. League, @ThirdyRavenaaa ???????????? https://t.co/IXlXeimu4h
— Luisa Morales (@mluisamorales_) November 7, 2020
Ravena, who missed San-En's first 10 games in the league due to visa problems and mandatory quarantine, added two assists and two rebounds in only the squad's second win in 11 outings.
The former Ateneo star made his presence in the court felt especially in the final salvo, with eight of his 13 points coming in the final frame.
His contributions gave NeoPhoenix enough breathing room for their escape act against the Susanoo Magic who erased a 10-point deficit and even trailed by one, 81-82, with 19 ticks left in the game.
With Ravena benched in the final moments of the game, it would ultimately be Hayato Kawashima's two points from the free throwline with 3.6 seconds remaining that helped San-En hold on for the win.
Though already providing a spark for the struggling NeoPhoenix, Ravena still sees a lot of room for improvement in his suceeding games with the squad.
"Definitely, I'm very thankful, but I still have a lot to improve on especially my conditioning. But I'm very happy that our team won," Ravena said.
"I'm here to do whatever it takes to help the team win. I'll do my best," he added.
Ravena will have another go at Susanoo Magic for another impactful performance when they face them anew Sunday, November 8 at 12:35 p.m. Manila time, still at the Yonago Industrial Gymnasium.
All his games will be streamed live at the Japan B. League Facebook and YouTube pages for the benefit of Filipino fans.
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