Break it Down: Thirdy Ravena's game winning three versus La Salle

It was a tight game all throughout between the Blue Eagles and the Green Archers, and with Ateneo facing a one point lead with 18 seconds remaining, the Blue Eagles needed a shot. This has been the issue of Ateneo ever since a certain Phenom left the Blue Eagles after a great five-year run. They could not find a guy to go to in the clutch.

This time around, someone was able to step up to give the Blue Eagles the victory against their archrivals.

It was none other than Thirdy Ravena, who received a ton of flak from fans after a poor performance in last year's Finals series against the Green Archers. Sure, this is just the preseason, but seeing him make such a big shot in a hotly contested game should give him and the Blue Eagle faithful a ton of confidence as we slowly come closer to the UAAP season.

It's easy to give Thirdy lots of credit for that shot, but someone who deserves as much credit for making that happen is Tyler Tio, the former Golden Stallion who's set to play as a rookie come Season 80. Why exactly does Tyler deserve some love?

Let's break it down:

Out of the timeout, Coach Tab Baldwin opts to field a line-up filled with a ton of athleticism and length. Considering that they were only down by one, this only makes sense. But spacing wise, this did not look like the wisest choice.

The play starts with Tyler positioned at the right block, while Thirdy finds himself near the elbow beside Raffy Verano. Aljun is initially on Tyler, while Ricci is sticking to Ravena like glue.

As the play starts, Tyler immediately curls towards the top of the key. Raffy and Thirdy are ready to screen so that Tio is able to receive the ball, but it's practically pointless as Aljun opts to move to the left, preparing to take Jawuan White as his man. A switch occurs because of this. Now Melecio will defend White, while Caracut takes on the responsibility of defending Tyler. 

Also notice how Thirdy doesn't actually move anywhere to open himself up. The only one moving to receive the ball is Tyler. Nothing indicating that the play is actually for Thirdy. 

Tio finally receives the ball at the right wing. Caracut is defending him, and as expected, Melecio opts to guard White. Verano immediately approaches Tyler, looking to set a screen.

After simply just setting a screen for Tyler, previously, Thirdy now pops towards the left wing, looking to go towards the corner. Ricci follows suit, determined to stick to Thirdy like velcro. 

As expected, Raffy does set a screen for Tyler. Caracut doesn't look to fight against the screen any more, as Santillian and Caracut just opted to switch. Now we have a mismatch. Verano is now on a smaller Caracut, while Tio is on a bigger Santillian. The logical option is for Tyler to give it to Raffy so he can attack Andrei, but that isn't what happened here.

Tyler opts to attack Santillian, and as he approaches the basket, look at where Ricci is looking. He no longer looks to stick to Thirdy. Instead, he's looking at Tyler, and it looks like he's going to help on Tyler's drive to the basket. It would leave Ravena open, but Thirdy Ravena open for a corner three isn't like Klay Thompson or Steph Curry being free to splash open the shot. It's a gamble worth taking.

Now, at the bottom of the screen, look at how Isaac Go elects to seal on Ben Mbala. This seal by Isaac has two purposes. First, it gives Tyler another option offensively. Go finds himself in good position to go for the simple hook shot against Big Ben off the pass from Tyler, or he could elect to pass it off to the perimeter. The second purpose is for Isaac to simply screen Ben. Big Ben is the last line of defense in this situation, and a seal by Isaac hinders Ben's ability to help either a catch and shoot by Thirdy, or penetration by Tyler. Great move by Isaac. 

Oh look, Ricci does elect to help! But it isn't a hard double, as Rivero clearly just wants to get a chance to swipe the ball of Tyler's hands instead of trapping him. Thirdy recognizes that Ricci isn't in good position to catch up to him, as he immediately sets his feet for a catch and shoot. 

At the bottom of the screen, Ben is seen running towards someone. The question is, who is he going towards to? Pick your poison time. If he runs towards Thirdy, it leaves Isaac Go open for the basket. If he goes towards Tyler, it leaves Thirdy open for the three. If not for Isaac's seal, chances are Tyler wouldn't be that decisive with regards to driving towards the basket. Once again, props to Isaac for fighting hard for position. 

Ultimately, Ben decides to help on Tyler. Tio manages to make the quick decision, as he passes to Thirdy with no hesitation. You have to credit Tyler for making that decision, especially with the knowledge that Thirdy has a bad history when it comes to shooting. Talk about trusting your teammate. Ricci turns his head towards Thirdy, but it's too late for that.

Watch the whole play unfold here:

Some Notes:

1. According to Thirdy, Coach Tab really instructed whoever Santillian was guarding to set a screen for Tyler which would initiate a switch. Tyler would then isolate, and it was up to him to create something for Ateneo. Give credit to Tyler for managing to think of passing it off to Thirdy in the corner. Props to Thirdy as well for managing to position himself for the shot, and for making it in the first place.

2. People will rile up on Ricci for attempting that steal. but it's a part of La Salle's entire defensive philosophy. Take gambles, attack passing lanes. Mayhem. The gamble didn't pay off this time, but at least it didn't pay off during the preseason.

3. Ateneo may have just found its closer in Tyler Tio. Last year, it was Thirdy who was placed as the main playmaker during situations like last night, and normally it would not end well. Tyler is a far better playmaker and decision-maker than Thirdy, so having Tio on board is huge for Ateneo's title aspirations.

4. I still find it really weird that Coach Tab elected not to have any known shooter in that line-up. You definitely have to give Thirdy props for making that shot. But not having at least one other shooter in an Anton Asistio, Mike Nieto or even Jolo Mendoza is a curious move. Whatever the case may be, great play drawn up by Tab.

Credits for the video go to sir Rick Olivares.