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DWIGHT Ramos even surprised himself with his performance on Friday.
“It’s probably my first game (where all my shots went in). The ball just went in today,” he said.
The basket was certainly friendly for the Fil-Am point guard, as he hit all seven of his shots to score 20 points and lead Gilas Pilipinas to a 93-61 victory over Thailand in the 2021 Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers.
Ramos’s performance proved to be the catalyst for the Philippines’ exit in the second quarter as he scored 11 of the team’s 32 points in the period to help establish a 53-29 lead at halftime.
The Ateneo’s new recruit was quick to deflect credit, saying that the two triples, the five two-point baskets and the four free throws he made were possible thanks to the confidence his teammates had given him.
“I felt good,” he said. “My teammates passed the ball to me and put me in the right places. We are trying to have fun, trying to follow our game plan.”
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Gilas’s dominant performance in the second window of the playoffs proved to be a promising glimpse into what the future holds, especially heading into the second of the two-game series against Thailand on Monday.
However, Ramos argued that every game is different, and the Philippines will be foolish to think that winning will be just as easy.
“The next game will probably be different,” he said.
“They are going to adjust their game plan. They played us before, so they will make some adjustments, so we will also make some adjustments. You never know the next game. It could be difficult, so we have to improve and be better.”
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As for the people hoping for Ramos to repeat his perfect night, all the 6-foot-4 swingman wants is to stay within the game plan that coach Jong Uichico and the rest of the coaching staff set out for them.
“For me, I try to play and do everything our coaches say,” he said. “It’s only today, the ball went in.”
