MANILA, Philippines – In a stunning turnaround of public opinion on Gilas Pilipinas, often-criticized Kiefer Ravena is now the people’s choice for players who need more playing time in the ongoing 2023 FIBA World Cup, especially after the host nation’s loss to Dominican Republic last Friday, August 25.
“Our time on the court is very limited, so we have to contribute and impact the game immediately,” Ravena said in Filipino. “We saw in the last game, when Rhenz and I entered, we were really ready. Now, you saw Rhenz really inject energy inside. That’s our role, and that’s why we always keep talking.”
“We let one slip. It’s really tough to compete if you’re down 7-8 points with two minutes to go,” Ravena continued. “It’s really tough, but at the end of the day, we gave ourselves a shot at coming back, especially with Rhenz coming in off that last stretch, gave us a lot of energy, but came up short.”