Thirdy Ravena outduels Ray Parks Jr. in Japan B. League showdown

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

Thirdy Ravena and the San-En NeoPhoenix got the better of Ray Parks Jr. and the Nagoya Diamond Dolphins, 94-80, during another inter-Asian import clash in the Japan B. League last December 28, 2022.

The former Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) Blue Eagles superstar outdueled Parks Jr. and unloaded 20 big points in San-En’s convincing win.

Aside from Ravena’s 20 points, the bruising shooting guard also dished out three assists and intercepted the ball once in 25 minutes of playing time.

The most impressive thing about Ravena’s solid outing was his efficient shooting from the three-point area, hitting three of his five total attempts.

Ravena checked Parks Jr. thrice and was able to get the better of him in different ball coverages especially in the pick-and-roll.

Every time Parks Jr. and the Diamond Dolphins ran the pick-and-roll, Ravena and Kyle O’quinn communicated well in the switches and forced them to restart their sets from the top of the key.

The former NBA big man also came up huge in San-En’s win and chipped in 15 points, seven rebounds, five blocks, four assists, and two steals.

Kazuki Hosokawa continued his consistent outing for the NeoPhoenix and contributed a game-high 25 points built from efficient shooting from the perimeter.

On the other hand, Parks Jr. also had a decent outing and wrapped up his clash against Ravena with 11 points on 50% shooting from the field, four steals, and two rebounds in 29 minutes of playing time.

Meanwhile, former PBA lottery draft pick Roosevelt Adams shot the lights out for the Kagawa Five Arrows in their game against the Nishinomiya Storks.

The Filipino-American small forward made up for his two-game absence and fired 17 points on a 7/9 shooting from the field.