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Japan Forward
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Japan Forward
B.League Playoffs: Utsunomiya and Ryukyu Survive Semifinal Showdowns to Reach the Finals
The Brex kept alive their goal of winning a third title by ousting the Chiba Jets, and the Golden Kings eliminated the San-en NeoPhoenix. Utsunomiya Brex forward Grant Jerrett looks to score against the Chiba Jets in Game 3 of a semifinal series on May 19, 2025, in Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture. (© There are a number of notable facts connected to the upcoming Finals. For starters, the Ryukyu Golden Kings are the first team in league history to advance to the championship round in four consecutive years. Their previous three trips included a pair of championship runner-up finishes, including in 2024 against the Hiroshima Dragonflies. In addition, the Utsunomiya Brex have a shot at becoming the first franchise to win the title three times. Led by American bench boss Tom Wisman, the team then known as Link Tochigi Brex captured the title to conclude the inaugural 2016-17 season. And the Brex, then guided by head coach Ryuzo Anzai, won their second championship with a two-game sweep of the Golden Kings in a best-of-three showdown in May 2022. In doing so, they joined the Alvark Tokyo (2017-18, 2018-19) as the only teams with two titles. (The championship round was switched from a single game to the current format the previous year.) Just like the Golden Kings, the Brex will be making their fourth appearance in the Finals. In 2021, the Chiba Jets topped Utsunomiya, handing the Brex their lone loss in the championship round. Game 1 of the series is on Saturday, May 24, at Yokohama Arena. Tipoff is 2:30 PM. On Sunday, Game 2 is slated to start at 1:10 PM, also at the same venue. If necessary, Yokohama Arena will also host a deciding Game 3 on Tuesday, May 27, with a 7:05 PM tipoff. Ryukyu Golden Kings coach Dai Oketani ( Two years after winning the Finals against Chiba, Ryukyu coach Dai Oketani has a chance to become the second bench boss in league history with two titles. Former Alvark sideline supervisor Luka Pavicevic became the first to do so. Another coaching distinction, one touched by tragedy, could occur in the championship series. Zico Coronel could become the first in-season coaching replacement to win a title. The New Zealander took over as acting head coach when Kevin Braswell was hospitalized after suffering a heart attack in January. Braswell died several weeks later at age 46 after undergoing heart surgery in a Tochigi Prefecture hospital. Brex coach Zico Coronel ( Since then, the Brex have displayed a framed photo of Braswell on the bench for every game. It's a touching dedication to their former leader. Golden Kings players congratulate one another after their double-overtime victory over the San-en NeoPhoenix in Game 2 of the semifinals on May 18 at Hamamatsu Arena. ( After winning the Western Conference title with a 46-14 record in the regular season, Ryukyu eliminated the Shimane Susanoo Magic in two games in the playoff quarterfinals (May 9-10). That set up a scintillating showdown with the Central Division champion San-en NeoPhoenix (47-12) in Hamamatsu with a berth in the title series up for grabs. Their longtime rivalry, which was spawned in an earlier era, has continued. Between them, the Golden Kings (four titles) and the three-time champion NeoPhoenix (formerly known as the Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix) captured seven titles in the final eight seasons of the bj-league, a forerunner of the The NeoPhoenix opened the series with an 87-85 home win on Saturday, May 17. Ex-NBA player David Nwaba had a game-high 23 points for the hosts. Interestingly enough, after Ryukyu's Vic Law nailed a 3-pointer with 1:05 remaining in the fourth quarter, neither team scored again. NeoPhoenix swingman David Nwaba shoots a jumper in Game 2. ( The Golden Kings then faced their biggest test to date this season ― needing a win in Game 2 to extend the semifinal series. Nobody said it would be easy. And it wasn't. Golden Kings big man Jack Cooley looks to score against the NeoPhoenix in Game 2. ( Ryukyu outlasted San-en 100-98 in double overtime on May 18 to force a Game 3. A play that will long live in Golden Kings lore ― a Yoshiyuki Matsuwaki putback at the buzzer ― sent the game into the first OT period. Ryukyu's Masahiro Waki in action against San-en in Game 2. ( The Golden Kings' big standouts in Game 2 were Jack Cooley (26 points, 16 rebounds, six steals), Law (23 points, seven rebounds, six assists), and Masahiro Waki (17 points), while Alex Kirk had seven of his 16 points in 20T. Nwaba paced the NeoPhoenix with 26 points. Ryukyu star Vic Law surveys his options during the series finale on May 19. ( On Monday, May 19, a day after Law logged a team-high 45:52 out of 50 minutes for Ryukyu and Nwaba played 46:36 for San-en, there was no rest for the weary. A trip to the Finals was at stake. Entering the second half, the Golden Kings led by the slimmest of margins, 43-42. Ryukyu's tough-as-nails defense was a big factor in the second half. The NeoPhoenix were held to 27 points and 10-for-33 shooting from the field the rest of the way, including 10 points in the fourth quarter. Law spearheaded the Golden Kings' winning effort with 30 points and 10 rebounds in a 77-69 triumph. Veteran playmaker Tatsuya Ito handed out a team-high five assists. Golden Kings playmaker Tatsuya Ito runs the offense in Game 3. ( Yante Maten led the NeoPhoenix with 27 points. After the final buzzer sounded, Law provided instant clarity about the grueling duel with San-en. "I feel that this was the hardest and toughest game I have played in since joining the said Law, who starred for Chiba (2022-23) before joining Ryukyu the following season. Coach Oketani commended his players for their spirited effort in the semifinals. "All three games were close and could have been won by either side," Oketani said at Hamamatsu Arena. "In the midst of all this, the players kept their feet on the ground and fought tenaciously until the very end. "Throughout the season, we have been conscious of continuing to do what we can do, and I think the trust that we have built up with the entire team came into play here." After winning the Eastern Conference with a league-best 48-12 record, Utsunomiya ousted the SeaHorses Mikawa in the quarterfinals (May 10-11). That set up a clash of East heavyweights in the semifinals: The Brex vs the Jets (42-18). Chiba entered the series as the league's hottest team, winning 11 straight games, including a two-game sweep by a combined 52 points over the Alvark in the first round. In Game 1, Utsunomiya cruised to an 82-67 victory on May 17. The big story was the Brex's 50 second-half points and the Jets' 33. Facing elimination on Sunday, Chiba bounced back with a 74-55 decision. In the blowout win, the Jets outscored the hosts 26-9 in the third quarter. Chiba's Christopher Smith was the high scorer (23 points) in Game 2. Only Grant Jerrett (12 points) and reigning MVP DJ Newbill (10) reached double figures for the Brex, who shot 22-for-63. Brex guard Makoto Hiejima drives on Jets forward Yuta Watanabe on May 19. ( The Brex jumped out to a 43-31 lead by halftime in the series finale on Monday, May 19. Utsunomiya seized momentum with a 30-point second period. It included a dynamic 12-point effort from Jerrett, who had an eight-game stint in the NBA in 2014-15, in his 8:42 of court time in the quarter. Coronel's squad maintained a 12-point advantage (61-49) heading into the final stanza. Jerrett provided a closing spark in the fourth quarter with nine more points. He finished with 27, including 5-for-5 from 3-point range, in his highest-scoring game since dropping 40 on the Levanga Hokkaido on March 2. Chiba's Christopher Smith ( Facing the daunting task of a double-digit comeback and their third game in as many days, Chiba fell short in the final stanza despite a 22-point effort in the last 10 minutes. Smith had 11 of his 22 points in the fourth. The Jets trailed 75-71 with 1:05 to play, and didn't score again. As a result, the final numbers on the scoreboard were the following: Utsunomiya 82, Chiba 71. Utsunomiya's Gavin Edwards ( In addition to Jerrett's banner performance, Brex veteran Gavin Edwards had 21 points, Newbill had 10, and Japanese teammates Atsuya Ogawa and Makoto Hiejima finished with eight and seven, respectively. In the postgame news conference, Coronel expressed relief and satisfaction that his team overcame the Jets. "I think you can see the respect our group had for Chiba when you see how pleased and happy we were when we finally secured the result," Coronel commented at Nikkan Arena Tochigi. Coronel cited Chiba's overall strength as a team and difficulty as an opponent. "It took everything we had," he said, "and we made some learnings today, which we applied, and we are very pleased to have another week to continue to get better and challenge ourselves to play even better basketball in Yokohama." Golden Kings big man Alex Kirk commands attention in the low post. ( On January 25, the Brex topped the Golden Kings 105-86 at Okinawa Arena. Jerrett had a double-double (20 points, 10 rebounds). In the teams' rematch the next day, Ryukyu salvaged a series split with a 97-88 triumph. Keve Aluma ignited the Golden Kings with 31 points. Author: Ed Odeven Find Ed on JAPAN Forward' s dedicated website, SportsLook . Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven .
Japan Forward
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Japan Forward
Chiba Jets Embrace Trust and Unselfish Play as Their Core Values
The Chiba Jets have won 11 consecutive games heading into the semifinals of the playoffs against the Utsunomiya Brex. Chiba Jets point guard Yuki Togashi runs the offense against the Alvark Tokyo in Game 2 of the playoff semifinals on May 11, 2025, at Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo. (© Trusting your teammates and unselfish play are often hallmarks of successful pro sports franchises. The 2024-25 Chiba Jets, one of four teams still remaining in the playoffs, provide vivid examples of these qualities whenever they step onto the floor. During the regular season, the Jets won 42 of 60 games despite a rash of injuries to key players. For example, former NBA forward Yuta Watanabe only appeared in 35 games and big man John Mooney was limited to 43 games. Franchise cornerstone Yuki Togashi, who has played for the Jets since 2015, played in 50 matches. Missing three players as talented as this Jets trio for long stretches of the season could have had a profound negative impact on their win-loss record. Credit first-year bench boss Trevor Gleeson for his leadership and installing strategies that relied on the synergy and strength of teamwork, not individual play. Jets head coach Trevor Gleeson ( Chiba's 78-53 and 92-65 runaway wins over the rival Alvark Tokyo on May 10 and 11 at Ariake Coliseum provided much more than a handful of glimpses into the Jets' mastery of working together to accomplish a goal. And remember this: Togashi, a 31-year-old linchpin of the Jets' starting lineup for a decade, returned to action on May 3, the team's penultimate game of the regular season. Back on the court after missing a month of games due to a left ankle sprain, Togashi wasn't thrust into the starting lineup. Instead, he came off the bench against the Sendai 89ers on May 3 and 4, playing about 12 and 16 minutes, respectively. Yuki Togashi shoots a jumper against the Alvark in the playoff semifinals on May 11 at Ariake Coliseum. ( When the playoffs began, Gleeson maintained the same approach with Togashi, utilizing his experience and skills off the bench. And in Game 2 of the quarterfinals against the Alvark, Togashi, the team captain, delivered an 18-point performance. Most notably, he had an electrifying 16-point effort in the second quarter, knocking down 5 of 5 from 3-point range and helping carry the Jets to a 50-28 halftime lead. Togashi worked diligently with Chiba's medical staff to overcome his injury and be ready to compete before the playoffs began. He's also continued to work with them to strengthen his ankle. "Since the end of the regular season, the trainers and I have been taking good care of my injury so that I can recover as much as possible the next day," Togashi told reporters after Game 2. "And I think that led to my performance today." Teammates recognized that Togashi had the hot shooting hand ― just like the 9,300-plus spectators observed ― so they kept passing him the ball. Trevor Gleeson worked as an assistant coach for the NBA's Toronto Raptors (2021-23) and Milwaukee Bucks (2023-24). ( After the game, Gleeson, a five-time title-winning coach in the Australian NBL, spoke about the Jets' current 11-game winning streak. He also dissected the team's chief strengths at this stage of the season. "We're in this position because we play the right way," Gleeson said on Sunday. "The guys play defense and support each other and play unselfish on offense. We share the ball, find the open man and put trust in them, and it's a trust and belief in our system and each other that gives you that opportunity." Jets players talk during a break in the action in Game 2. ( The Jets face the Utsunomiya Brex in the semifinals, a best-of-three series, starting on Saturday, May 17 at Nikkan Arena Tochigi in Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture. In this clash of Eastern Conference powerhouse squads, who have combined for three titles, both teams exemplify unselfish play. For instance, four Brex players scored in double figures during the regular season (led by DJ Newbill's 17.1 points per game). Similarly, the Jets had five players scoring 10 or more points a game: Christopher Smith (17.0), DJ Hogg (16.2), Togashi (13.9), Watanabe (13.3) and Mooney (12.0). Gaudy individual statistics are not a priority, Gleeson insisted. Throughout his travels as a coach, starting in the early 1990s in his native Australia, Gleeson has closely followed what works to sustain excellence and compete for titles. Jets rookie Riku Segawa ( And that includes Togashi coming off the bench and rookie point guard Riku Segawa, 18, getting the starting assignment in both games against the Alvark. Gleeson described it as "just a good team rhythm at the moment." The former NBA assistant coach then commended Togashi for not letting his ego interfere with the team's chief goal: winning a title. "I've got to get Yuki to accept that role," Gleeson said of being a backup, "and not be, 'I want to start, I want these minutes.' " He added, "That's very unselfish and just reflects the team attitude ― that the team comes first." Chiba star Christopher Smith in action against Tokyo in Game 2. ( The Jets haven't lost since a 70-68 setback against the Sunrockers Shibuya on April 12. Since then, Chiba has developed into a more cohesive team. Despite that loss, Gleeson pointed out that "it just had a good feel within the group. They started trusting each other and being in the right spots and being patient, and you can see that on the court." He continued: "It doesn't matter what five guys are on the floor, they are supporting each other. And it's a beautiful thing when that happens. It's great to see." Further commenting on past observations and experiences that Gleeson draws upon to put his stamp on the Jets, he shared additional examples of recurring themes over the years. "There's some traits that success brings when you're trusting each other," he told the news conference, responding to my inquiry. Trevor Gleeson's team went 42-18 in the regular season. ( About Game 2, he mentioned that eight Jets players contributed to the team's total of 19 assists. Indeed, an impressive across-the-board effort. "That's a team that's not scared of passing the ball to the extra man," said Gleeson. "And that's something you build up in practice and during the games. You can't be selective if maybe it's a non-shooter. You've got to trust your teammates. "Look, I've been on teams that don't do that, and I've been on teams that do do that. And I know which one wins, so that's really important for us to keep believing in each other and playing together." Jets center John Mooney passes the ball as Alvark big man Sebastian Saiz looks on. ( Togashi missed his only shot in the first quarter in Game 2 against Tokyo. He later admitted that the shot didn't have a good feel to it. And remember, Togashi, the all-time leader in 3-pointers (1,177), is a player who's attempted thousands of shots in his pro career. He's an authority on the nuances of his offensive game. So when he lit up the scoreboard in the second quarter of the Jets' series-clinching win, that earlier missed attempt proved important. "After that shot, I felt more confident, and I was relieved," Togashi told reporters. He added, "After that, I was able to shoot in a real rhythm." For the Chiba Jets, Togashi as an offensive catalyst is an integral part of their overall success, which is built on a foundation of trust and unselfish play. Yuki Togashi salutes the crowd after the Jets' series-clinching win against the Alvark. ( Author: Ed Odeven Find Ed on JAPAN Forward' s dedicated website, SportsLook . Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven .
