Filipino fans got more than a basketball game on Thursday, September 10. Gilas Pilipinas stars Dwight Ramos and AJ Edu took a moment after a grueling overtime battle to thank the Manila crowd that packed the Mall of Asia Arena.

The gesture came just after Edu’s Gunma Crane Thunders edged Ramos’ Levanga Hokkaido, 101-91, in overtime, capping off the B.League Manila Games. It was a series both players had eagerly anticipated as a rare chance to face off on home soil.

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Ramos fouled out late in the extension period, but the tough finish didn’t overshadow the moment. He praised the atmosphere inside the arena and thanked the fans who packed the venue across both days.

“The energy here is the best in the world. I’m really happy to play in front of you guys. Thank you for supporting us, and I’ll see you guys in the next window,” Ramos said.

Edu echoed the sentiment, thanking the Filipino community for embracing the B.League’s first ever overseas games. He capped his message with a warm nod to his roots.

“Thank you guys for the support over the last couple of days. I’ll see you guys in the next window. Maraming salamat po,” Edu said.

Both players’ remarks reflected exactly what organizers hoped the event would represent, a bridge between Japanese pro basketball and the Filipino fan base that has long backed homegrown talent playing overseas.

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The game itself gave fans plenty to cheer for before the postgame gratitude. Unlike Wednesday’s lopsided 98-81 Gunma win, Thursday’s rematch stayed tight throughout regulation.

Neither Edu nor Ramos could convert a potential go-ahead shot in the closing seconds, sending the contest into overtime tied at 89-89 and setting up a tense five-minute extension.

Overtime stayed deadlocked at 91-91 until Yuma Fujii buried a triple to ignite a decisive run. The Thunders rattled off 10 straight points to seal the win over Levanga.

Levanga went cold down the stretch, missing several three-point attempts in the final minutes. Ramos, Gary Clark and Ren Shimatani all came up empty from beyond the arc.

Takuto Nakamura paced Gunma with 25 points, while Yuma Nishimura dropped a game-high 34 in the loss. Edu added nine points and nine rebounds, while Ramos posted 17 points, three rebounds and four assists.

The two-day event drew a combined 7,219 fans across both games, marking B.League’s first ever international home game and part of a broader push to grow the league’s global footprint.