JAKARTA (Indonesia) - Mark your calendars. April 24, 2024. Prawira Harum Bandung versus Pelita Jaya Basketball in Britama Arena, Jakarta.

It doesn't get much better - or closer - than this.

How often do you get a rivalry like this in a game that could potentially be the deciding factor for the winning team to qualify for the flagship club competition in Asia - Basketball Champions League Asia (BCL Asia)?

This was a game that was potentially eyed as a game to watch ever since Round 1, where there was a chance that the two could cross paths in the Qualification to Round 2 Games. That didn't pan out as Pelita Jaya went through Round 1 undefeated to claim a direct spot to avoid the clash.

But the fans might end up getting the better end of the deal and that game is not only confirmed to be happening (again, on April 24 at 8:00 PM local time), it will be happening on the home turf of both teams in Indonesia.

Here are five reasons that this will could be the game to remember of the BCL Asia Qualifiers:

Rematch

Prawira Harum Bandung and Pelita Jaya Basketball are two storied clubs in the Indonesia basketball scene. The list of alumni who have donned their jerseys over the years is spectacular. It always ends up being electric when they match up on the court.

The previous Indonesia Basketball League (IBL) Tokopedia 2023 season was a good example of that, as they went toe-to-toe on the biggest stage in the IBL Finals.

When the dust settled, it was Prawira Bandung who was left standing to hoist the trophy for the first time in so long. Bandung won both games to complete the sweep, but were decided in single-digit deficits and the biggest lead in each game was as much as 10, only for a short moment.

Of course, we should be excited to get a rematch of that Finals series here in the BCL Asia Qualifiers setting.

By a Hair

This is quite a rivalry on it's own in Indonesia basketball, too. While Pelita Jaya have some crosstown rivalries with other Jakarta powerhouses, their battles with Bandung have been just as entertaining.

Over the past seven years in competitions organized by the IBL, these two teams have met each for a total of 15 times. And the margin can barely be any closer.

Date	Competition	Winner	Pelita Jaya Basketball	Prawira Harum Bandung
11 March 2017	IBL 2017		62	56
25 February 2018	IBL 2017-18		74	60
20 October 2018	Championship IBL Go-Jek Tournament 2018		80	54
7 December 2018	IBL 2018-19		89	65
14 February 2019	IBL 2018-19		68	82
2 February 2020	IBL 2019-20		90	80
6 April 2021	IBL 2020-21		81	79
6 March 2022	IBL 2021-22		49	69
21 March 2022	IBL 2021-22		61	71
12 November 2022	Indonesia Cup 2022 Semi-FInals		71	57
15 January 2023	IBL 2022-23		45	69
11 June 2023	IBL 2022-23		82	84
20 July 2023	IBL 2022-23 Finals		65	74
22 July 2023	IBL 2022-23 Finals		58	63
13 January 2024	IBL 2023-24		76	66
24 April 2024	BCL Asia Qualifiers	???
		Total Wins	8	7
		Total Points	1051	1029
		Average Points	70.1	68.6

Pelita Jaya have won just over half (8) of these matchups, because someone has to in an odd-numbered situation. It's not only the win-loss count either. Over these games, Pelita Jaya have scored only 22 more points than Prawira Bandung, accounting for an average difference of just 1.5 points per contest between the two teams.

It can get closer… but only barely so.

The Main Characters

Another source of fuel to the rivalry fire are the featured players that have contributed to the excitement of these games. Franchise cornerstones like Andakara Prastawa Dhyaksa for Pelita Jaya and Yudha Saputera for Prawira Bandung have been playing their hearts out in these games and the results speak for themselves.

Top 5 scorers (Total Points) in Pelita Jaya versus Prawira Bandung rivalry*

Player	Team	Games Played	Total Points	Points Per Game	Single-Game High
Andakara Prastawa Dhyaksa		11	115	10.5	25
Reza Guntara	/	14	112	8.0	26
Yudha Saputera		7	101	14.4	20
Hans Abraham		14	80	5.7	15
Abraham Damar Grahita		4	73	18.3	26

* = Past 15 games between the two teams in competitions organized by IBL

Prastawa leads all scorers in this series with 115 points while Yudha Saputera already has 101 points in just 7 games.

The spotlight, however, will be shining brightly on Reza Guntara in this upcoming game between the two teams. Guntara is the reigning IBL Finals MVP, winning the award with Prawira Bandung after leading his hometown club to a monumental title.

However, he switched sides to play for Pelita Jaya this season. Guntara has already played against his former club in the IBL regular season clash earlier in January, where he put up 8 points to help his new club secure the win.

Will Guntara have an even bigger performance this time around? How will the duel between two of the best guards in Indonesia - Prastawa vs Saputera - go?

Who else might step up to make a name for themselves in this rivalry?

Indonesia, this one is for you

It seems like a good time to be a basketball fan in Indonesia. Over the past few years, the nation has hosted the FIBA Asia Cup, the Group Phase of the FIBA Basketball World Cup. They've seen some exciting talents arise in the ranks.

Now they get the chance to be a direct part of the last qualification stage toward the first-ever BCL Asia, hosting this part of the competition in the middle of Jakarta at the Britama Arena.

Team
Hong Kong Eastern Basketball Team
Pelita Jaya Basketball
Prawira Harum Bandung
NS Matrix Deers

And one of those games will be between two of their biggest local clubs, which also happens to be a rematch of the Finals from the previous season.

It must feel good to be so spoiled, Indonesia basketball fans.

What's at stake

The history of this rivalry surely is part of what makes it great, but it's also what the future would look like depending on the result of this game that spices things up even more.

This 16th clash between the two teams, could already potentially decide their fate whether or not they will qualify for BCL Asia. By tipoff time of the rivalry, both teams will have already played one game on April 23. If either team wins their opening game, a win in this rivalry clash could mean clinching a BCL Asia spot. If either team loses their opening games, there could be pressure on facing elimination in a rivalry loss.

In any case, both teams will surely be looking at this game as a must-win-at-all-cost contest. Whether it's because of the long-term or short-term history, the personnel involved, putting on a show for Indonesia basketball, or just to survive and make it to the big stage, the game between Prawira Harum Bandung and Pelita Jaya Basketball is one you will not want to miss.

FIBA