It was a memorable evening for a 103-year-old U.S. Army veteran as he was honored by the San Antonio Spurs in front of a capacity crowd on Wednesday night. Liban Brillantes, a Filipino-American and an avid San Antonio supporter, was awarded with his very own custom-made Spurs jersey as his achievements and contributions for the nation were broadcast to the cheering crowd:
During last night’s @USAA Military Appreciation Night, we honored 103-year-old Liban Brillantes, who served in the Army’s 121st Infantry Division, with his own custom jersey! #SpursSalute pic.twitter.com/mNfDQZKbdz
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) March 21, 2019
Brillantes was visibly beaming with delight, and as seen in the clip, his family could not be more proud of what their patriarch has done for the nation. Dawning a traditional Barong Tagalog — the national costume of the Philippines — the highly admirable centurion was cheered on by the appreciative crowd.
This was an inspiring gesture by the Spurs, and their players did their best to honor the veteran through their on-court display. Unfortunately, their efforts weren't enough as they fell to a surging Miami Heat side, 110-105.
The duo of DeMar DeRozan (16 points, 15 rebounds, six assists) and LaMarcus Aldridge (17 points, nine rebounds) led the charge for the Spurs, while Rudy Gay (15 points, eight rebounds, seven assists), Patty Mills (17 points, five 3-pointers, six assists), and Marco Belinelli (17 points, two three-pointers) all came through off the bench.
However, the Spurs had no answer for Heat veteran guard Goran Dragic, who continues to provide outstanding performances for Miami despite coming off the bench. The former Most Improved Player of the Year winner dropped a game-high 22 points, along with four 3-pointers, two rebounds, and two assists to lead his team to victory.
The sixth-seeded Spurs are now locked in a four-way tie with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Utah Jazz, and Los Angeles Clippers . The race to the playoffs just doesn't get any tighter than this.
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