By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
Tied with one game apiece, Kiefer clinched the first while Thirdy was quick to answer back in one of the most entertaining back-to-back games in the elimination round.
It was a fun-filled weekend of basketball for the Japan B. League – as well as Filipino fans – as Kiefer and Thirdy Ravena played against each other with their squads meeting and battled for two straight days.
In the first game, Kiefer and the Shiga Lakestars were able to claw their way from a 22-point hole to eventually grab a 93-83 victory.
However, Thirdy and the San-En NeoPhoenix reversed their fortunes and orchestrated their own come-from-behind win as they erased Shiga’s 18-point lead in their second game and pulled off a massive 101-96 overtime win.
Both thrilling games also showcased the Ravena brothers’ full basketball skillset as Kiefer impressed in his very first Japan B. League game after chalking up 11 points, eight dimes, three rebounds, and three steals with no turnovers.
When Shiga made a run in the second half, it was Kiefer who was appointed as the main ball-handler and didn’t disappoint as he scored a huge three-pointer during the stretch while finding the open guy several times for their first lead of the game.
During their second meeting, it was Thirdy who ran the show for the NeoPhoenix as the laser-focused swingman doubled his point production from their first game to end with 21 points, seven boards, and five assists.
Kiefer and the Lakestars were given a taste of their own medicine after suffering a late-game meltdown that saw their double-digit lead vanish courtesy of a hot Thirdy shooting from deep.
Thirdy and the NeoPhoenix will have the chance to extend their winning streak to two as they battle with the Niigata Albirex BB while Kiefer and the Lakestars are scheduled to take on the Ibaraki Robots.
