The Phenom provided a huge spark off the bench in the first half against Dominican Republic.
Gilas Pilipinas was just a few points away from beating the Dominican Republic in its FIBA World Cup opener at the Philippine Arena on Friday.
It was a six-point loss that especially stings, as the victory seemed to be well within Gilas' reach.
There were bright spots, though, such as the various national team members who stepped up to keep the match close all throughout.
Guys like June Mar Fajardo, Rhenz Abando, and Kiefer Ravena made their presence felt off the bench—much to the delight of fans.
Among those names, it seems like it was Ravena's impact that went front and center. One reason is the string of good plays he pulled out in the second quarter, including a quick theft and a save-and-assist executed in one cool motion, which then led to a fastbreak dunk by Jordan Clarkson.
Ravena played so well, more than his 2 points showed, that fans started to wonder why the six-foot guard did not play more than the 7 minutes he logged.
He was even trending on X (formerly Twitter).
User @OffTheScreen_B emphasized that the game was proof that Ravena will be needed in the tournament.
“This game was a testament that we really need the talent of a Kiefer Ravena in this tournament,” the user wrote.
Other fans also couldn’t help but be confused that the Gilas mainstay did not see action in the second half.
“Tanong ko lang bakit di na pinasok di kiefer ng 2nd half ang ganda naman nilalaro ng tao ah,” wrote @zar_dot.
Some Gilas supporters also looked for more playing time for Abando, who finished with just 2 points in 3 minutes of action.
@Kobeni09 also looked for Cjay Perez aside from Kiefer and Rhenz.
"What if magic bunot kiefer perez at abando?" The netizen asked.
"Abando and Kiefer brought something to the game during the first half. [I don't know] why they weren't utilized during the second half," X user @jhe_ka_ian wrote.
Gilas will have to bounce back on Sunday against Angola to keep its knockout stage hopes alive.
(GM)