JBL / BJ-League 2012- 2013 Season

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The last JBL playoffs will start this Saturday.

#1 Aishin Sea Horses vs. #4 Hitachi SunRockerz

JR Sakuragi is on a mission to reclaim lost glory and his supporting cast of veterans are hungry as well. That drive sustained them to play better after the December All-Star Break. For Hitachi, Joji Takeuchi needs help as their gunners must re-discover their form earlier in the season. Aishin has the interior advantage while their gunners are much better than Hitachi's sprites. Hitachi will need a solid defensive plan to counter Aishin's triangle.

#2 Toyota Alvark vs. #3 Toshiba Brave Thunders

The defending champions felt like cruising back in the regular season. Don't let Aishin's record fool you, Toyota is a powerhouse that can equal them pound for pound. Before thinking about a showdown with Aishin, Toyota must be wary of the surprise team of this season. From perennial bottom-dwellers last season, Toshiba ramped up their game to finish strong as the third seed. The acquisition of Nick Fazekas transformed the team from losers to a winning team. Fazekas was an interior force all season long and he lead Toshiba into a 180 turn for the playoffs. The continuous improvement of Ryusei Shinoyama and Takahiro Kurihara makes Toshiba a team that Toyota must not underestimate. Both teams are 3-3 against one another in six meetings this season.

 

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Aishin just walloped Hitachi 71-58 in game 1. While the Toyota - Toshiba game fared better as Nick Fazekas tried to carry his team with 22 points and 15 rebounds but he too, had defensive lapses that allowed Philip Ritchie some easy points. Kosuke Takeuchi was in playoff form and so was Taishi Ito.

For Toshiba to bounce back, they will need better games from Shinoyama and Kurihara. Naoto Tsuji played well in game 1. We'll see how Toshiba will respond in game 2.

 

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That's ten straight games for Osaka by beating the crumbling Akita 86-51. Osaka will be a force next season so long as the management listens to Cartwright's inputs after the season.

As for Akita, they have crumbled from eastern contenders into a team that does not play defense and their offense is a mess with players freelancing and hosting shot after shot.

From last night's results, the playoff scramble has transformed teams like Shimane and Fukuoka into contenders.

 

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Aishin crushed Hitachi 72-37. Hitachi managed only 21 points in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th quarter after scoring 14 points in the first quarter. Aishin heads into the 2013 JBL finals.

Meanwhile, Mamadou Diouf scored the go ahead basket in overtime as Toshiba stuns Toyota 78-76. Diouf scored after Keijuro Matsui's trey ties the game at 76 all. Nick Fazekas had a strong game of 25 points and 11 rebounds. Naoto Tsuji with 15 points.

Matsui lead Toyota with a playoff career high 29 points by going 9/12 from beyond the arc.

 

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Toshiba will meet Aishin in the JBL Finals for 2013. It is a magical season and Toshiba goes as far as how Nick Fazekas carried them. This sets up a two front battlefield in the finals between the Thunder and the Sea Horses. Muslce inside the paint and some sniping from outside with Aishin having Takatoshi Furukawa while Toshiba having Naoto Tsuji and Takahiro Kurihara.

 

[DavidPCamarena2]

Aishin just walloped Hitachi 71-58 in game 1. While the Toyota - Toshiba game fared better as Nick Fazekas tried to carry his team with 22 points and 15 rebounds but he too, had defensive lapses that allowed Philip Ritchie some easy points. Kosuke Takeuchi was in playoff form and so was Taishi Ito.

For Toshiba to bounce back, they will need better games from Shinoyama and Kurihara. Naoto Tsuji played well in game 1. We'll see how Toshiba will respond in game 2.

I suppose that Joji Takeuchi has injured in first game, after seeing the boxscores. Does anyone know what happened and if he'll be okay for the Asiabasket?

 

[CKR132]

I suppose that Joji Takeuchi has injured in first game, after seeing the boxscores. Does anyone know what happened and if he'll be okay for the Asiabasket?

Joji Takeuchi was very limited with a calf and lingering ankle sprain. He did not start in game 1 as head coach Shoji Ono played a gambit to make Joji the sixth man but he was not 100%.

About asiabasket, do you mean the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship to be staged in Manila? Joji is recovering and is listed in the national team training pool. He will not be playing in next month's FIBA East Asia tournament in Korea.

 

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Saw the weekend series opener for the Sendai - Chiba game. The most entertaining game over the weekend. It was a ravishing shootout as Sendai's TJ Cummings made 7 treys to lead his team. Takehiko Shimura razzled and dazzled with scoring and timely kick-out drives to manage almost a double double. While Chiba's Marquin Chandler had 6 three pointers to lead his team.

The BJ-League is favoring a more uptempo game and it has been driving fans into the gates receipt.

 

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Game 1 of the JBL Finals will be played later today.

 

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Aishin winning last night in game 1, 77-71. Reverse ball did wonders in the second half after Aishin pounded it in the first half where it favored Toshiba's whip zone. Second half saw Aishin's JR Sakuragi, Hashimoto and Furukawa hitting open shots. In the fourth quarter, paint conversion by wingers and guards through long cuts as Toshiba's bigmen were fitted outside in guarding the long range threats from Sakuragi (who made a 3pt shot in the 4th).

A very good game. We'll see how Toshiba respond later today for game 2.

 

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Series is tied 1-1 as Toshiba bounced back, 65-61. That pivotal 4th quarter and tying the game with 45 seconds left in the 4th via Ryusei Shinoyama lay-up forced overtime at 56 apiece. Overtime saw Shinoyama, Naoto Tsuji and Nick Fazekas closing the game to tie the series.

Nick Fazekas had another great game of 21 points and 14 rebounds. The game was played in a much more slower pace that seemed to favor Aishin in the first half, but Toshiba gained confidence. Aishin's veteran playmaker, Shinsuke Kashiwagie tried to rise up for the occasion, with 18 points. JR Sakuragi seems tired but had a good outing of 14 points and 8 rebounds.

Ryusei Shinoyama

 

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Game 4 is close in the 4th quarter. Aishin playing better and with a more sense of urgency. Toshiba with a 2-1 lead in the quarter and Aishin won't like going down 1-3.

 

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Aishin ties the series at 2-2 with a 74-65 victory in game 4. JR Sakuragi scored 8 points in the 4th quarter and finished with 25 points and 14 rebounds. Horrible game for Nick Fazekas; shot 1-9 from the floor, 1-5 from the free-throw line and was 0-4 from beyond the arc! Naoto Tsuji stepped up for Toshiba with 26 points but it went for naught.

 

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Congratulations to the Aishin Seahorses, the 2012-2013 JBL champions and the last JBL champions.

 

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2013 BJ-League Playoffs

Eastern Conference:

(4) Iwate Big Bulls vs. (5) Akita Northern Happinets

Winner advances to face (1) Niigata Albirex.


(3) Toyama Grouses vs. (6) Chiba Jets

Winner advances to face (2) Yokohama B-Corsairs.



Western Conference:

(3) Shimane Susanoo Magic vs. (6) Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix

Winner advances to face (2) Rizing Fukuoka.


(4) Shiga Lakestars vs. (5) Kyoto Hannaryz

Winner advances to face the reigning BJ-League champions, (1) Ryukyu Okinawa-Golden Kings.

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First round games will be played in two successive days whereas in case of a tie by the end of the second game, a deciding mini game 3 will be played on the same day.

Shimane slipped in the last weeks leading to the playoffs and now they will have to climb the playoffs the hard way by facing a dangerous Hamamatsu that is ripe with playoff experience on its core players. A wide open game will favor the Phoenix but a much more controlled half-court setting will tilt the game in our favor as we are the better operators with the said game with our horned offense.

 

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One of those games where everything was clicking for Shimane as the players ran the horned offense well after some rest and Jeral Davis was a commanding presence with his shot-blocking. Our swat captain blocked 7 shots as Shimane won a convincing one against traditional powerhouse, Hamamatsu.

 

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Four games slated for Saturday's first round series.

Game 1 Iwate vs. Akita
Game 1 Toyama vs. Chiba
Game 1 Shiga vs. Kyoto
Game 2 Shimane vs. Hamamatsu

Shimane must not lose focus and go for the kill.

 

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Shimane advances into the second round and will face Rizing Fukuoka. This will be a very energizing series as Fukuoka is an exciting offensive team in which the challenge for us will be not breaking free from the offense tempo and biting into a vaulted exchange of baskets. Jeral Davis will be our key player here.

Other results:

Toyama 97 Chiba 77
Akita 79 Iwate 74
Kyoto 69 Shiga 79

I would love for Toyama to close this one out for tomorrow. Send those defectors crashing into the NBL for next season.

 

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Akita 71 Iwate 72
Akita wins the mini-game for the series deadlock 25-24 so Akita advances into the next round to face Niigata.

Toyama 73 Chiba 103
Toyama bounced back in the mini-game 19-17 to eliminate the Jets and advance into the next round to meet Yokohama. That is the last that we will see of Chiba as next season, they will be playing in the NBL, formerly the JBL.


Kyoto 89 Shiga 75
Kyoto swept Shiga and will face Ryukyu, the defending champions.

 

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Yuki Togashi has improved once more since signing with Akita. Hit clutch treys and playing wisely under pressure given an intense playoff game and his decision making is quite mature.