(CNN Philippines, February 23) — Gilas Pilipinas Men were off to a winning start in the first window of the FIBA Asia Cup 2021 qualifiers, as the Philippines took down Indonesia, 100-70, Sunday at the Britama Arena in Jakarta.
Coming off the bench, Thirdy Ravena led the attack for the Filipino cagers with 23 points, eight rebounds, and three assists.
Playing in front of their home fans, the Indonesians put up a valiant stand as it cut the deficit to four points midway in the third quarter.
But that would be the closest they could get, as Gilas had a 12-0 blast to close the third period.
With the Filipinos finally getting into a groove, they pulled away for good until the final buzzer.
Roger Pogoy and CJ Perez chipped in 16 points and 11 points for Gilas, respectively.
Pending updates on its canceled home game against Thailand, the Philippines’ next matches are scheduled for this November. Gilas will visit South Korea on November 27 and Thailand on November 30 on the road.
