JAKARTA (Indonesia) - For Pelita Jaya Basketball, the mission is clear: finish strong.
We’ve got to be resilient. That’s what it takes.
After three games in five days, their BCL Asia-East home stand will close on Tuesday night with a high-stakes showdown against NS Matrix Deers - a familiar rival and a team they dramatically came back against in the last meeting. This time, Pelita Jaya wants more than a win. They want redemption.
Their last outing - an 88-64 loss to Taoyuan Pauian Pilots - was humbling. At times, the ball didn’t move. The shots didn’t fall. And the defense wasn’t up to their standard. But they’re not making excuses.
“We just got outplayed one to twelve,” said team captain Brandon Jawato. “We didn’t play team basketball. We weren’t playing our brand. But we’re going to come back. We can’t back down. We’ve got to come and fight every game.”
That next fight comes against a Deers squad still searching for their first win of the tournament. But that doesn’t mean it’ll be easy for Pelita Jaya. The last time these two clashed, the Indonesian champions needed a 20-point comeback and a furious finish to escape with the victory in Kuala Lumpur.
Head coach Johannis Winar knows what his team is capable of - but also what they still need to fix.
“We have to lock in from tipoff." he emphasized.
Winar repeats how they can’t wait until the second half, how their communication needs to be better, how their discipline needs to be sharper, and how they need to move the ball.
That’s been a theme for Pelita Jaya throughout the tournament. Even in their opening win over Bishrelt Metal, it took a second-half surge and a reminder of who they are to pull away.
Now, with one game left at home, the message is simple: leave no doubt.
“There’s so many teams out to get us because we’re trying to go back-to-back,” Jawato said, both as IBL champions and qualifying for BCL Asia.
“Are we going to be the one-percenters who get better every day? Are we going to hold each other accountable? We’ve got to be resilient. That’s what it takes.”
Pelita Jaya doesn’t just want to win. They want to show that the loss to Taoyuan was a stumble - not a sign of who they are. And with a packed home crowd behind them once more, they’ll get one last chance in Jakarta to prove it. The venue packed at least 2000 fans in their latest game - the largest so far this BCL Asia-East season.
"The home crowd was great. They definitely gave us energy. We piggy-backed off of them," said Jawato.
Pelita Jaya would be more than happy to see a crowd of that size once again, to reward their support with a win.
Tuesday night isn’t just about rivalry. It’s about response.
FIBA