Ravena confident former team Alab will get better along the way

Kiefer Ravena in attendance during the Alab Pilipinas game on January 10, 2018 in the ASEAN Basketball League. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

After watching his former team suffer a crucial loss in its home soil, Kiefer Ravena said Alab Pilipinas just needs to play more games to be a better and more cohesive basketball unit.

Ravena, who played for Alab in the 2017 playoffs against Singapore, watched as his former team drop a 90-80 loss to the Slingers in the ASEAN Basketball League.

“The more games they get to be together, the better they’ll be,” said Ravena Wednesday at Filoil Flying V Centre. “That’s the most adjustment they could do, they’ve prepared well.”

Alab had a strong start to the game building an early 10-2 lead in the first before allowing Singapore to take the upper hand with a 12-2 run in the second for the 26-21 margin.

And although Alab tied the game at the end of the third period, 64-64, it wasn’t able to sustain its momentum as the Slingers built a 12-point lead, 88-76, after AJ Mandani capped off a 6-0 run with 1:02 left in the game.

Ravena added there isn’t much to adjust in the team’s makeup, even if Justin Brownlee and Renaldo Balkman joined Alab as recently as Jan. 3.

“I don’t think there will be a big issue adjustment-wise,” said Ravena. “I guess the matter of team chemistry with the two new imports who just came in but already gave wins for Alab.”