HEARTBREAKING as Thirdy Ravena's home debut was, a Philippine contingent in the crowd made him feel a little bit better on Wednesday.
A good-sized Filipino audience came out to support the three-time UAAP Finals MVP in his first home game for San-En NeoPhoenix at Toyohashi City General Gymnasium, cheering him on each time he made a basket or got a big stop.
The Filipino fans occupied a part of the crowd in the 3,000-seater arena which was limited to 50-percent occupancy according to the government's guidelines amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
It gave a heartwarming slice of home for Ravena.
The 23-year-old made sure to delight his home fans, sparking San-En's fourth quarter rally to set up the nip-and-tuck finish.
Although Osaka Evessa took the slim 85-84 win, Ravena put on a show for the home crowd and tallied 18 points on 3-of-5 shooting from threes, to go with five rebounds and three steals.
After the game, Ravena had a chance to address the crowd and thanked them for welcoming him with open arms in the Land of the Rising Sun.
"Salamat sa lahat ng nandito. Pasensya na, hindi kami nanalo pero babawi kami next game," he said.
The loss dropped the NeoPhoenix to a 2-11 win-loss card, with a pair of road games against defending champion Alvark Tokyo up next this weekend.
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