B.League: Title Chase is Reduced to 4 Teams

The B.League playoff semifinal pairings are now finalized.

On Monday night, May 11, the Chiba Jets defeated the Gunma Crane Thunders 72-68 in Game 3 of their quarterfinal series to book a spot in the semifinals.

In the other semifinal series, the Ryukyu Golden Kings will meet the Nagoya Diamond Dolphins, who completed a two-game sweep of the reigning champion Utsunomiya Brex on Sunday, winning 75-66 in Game 2.

B.League Playoff Info

The Jets earned a trip to Kyushu for a semifinal showdown with the Nagasaki Velca at Happiness Arena, where the Velca had a 24-6 record in the regular season. Chiba went 18-12 in regular-season road games.

Ryukyu, aiming for its fifth straight appearance in the B.League Finals, secured a berth in the semifinals with back-to-back wins (79-65, 82-79) over the SeaHorses Mikawa on May 8 and 9.

Nagasaki, which had the league's best record in the regular season (47-13), defeated the Alvark Tokyo by a combined 55 points in their quarterfinal series on May 7 and 8. The Velca sealed the series sweep with a 45-point victory in Game 2, a game in which forward Stanley Johnson sparked the team with 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, while Hyunjung Lee poured in 27 points.

In the semifinals, the Nagasaki-Chiba and Ryukyu-Nagoya series (best-of-three) are both scheduled for May 15, 16 and, if necessary, 18.

The winners will advance to play in the B.League Finals at Yokohama Arena. That three-game series is set for May 23, 24 and 26.

Diamond Dolphins Advance to the Semifinals

In Sunday's series-clinching win, sharpshooter Keita Imamura led Nagoya with a game-best 23 points. He knocked down 5 of 7 3-point attempts.

Aaron Henry contributed 17 points, 11 rebounds and five assists for the Diamond Dolphins. Point guard Takumi Saito had 12 points and six assists.

Nagoya led 33-28 at halftime and 48-47 entering the fourth quarter at Nikkan Arena Tochigi.

Diamond Dolphins coach Shawn Dennis' team outscored the hosts 27-19 in the pivotal fourth quarter.

In a tight game, Nagoya's 17-8 advantage in fast-break points was another factor.

The Brex made 6 of 35 3-point shots.

Two-time reigning B.League MVP DJ Newbill struggled with his shot, making 5 of 15 shots in a 15-point performance. Brex teammate Grant Jerrett had 13 points on 6-for-20 shooting. Gavin Edwards finished with 12 points.

"I truly believe this is the result of the entire team's hard work," Imamura said after his stellar performance. He also scored 14 points in Game 1, draining 4 of 8 3s.

"Even though we were playing on the road, the voices of the Dolphins fans really gave us a boost, so I want to express my sincere gratitude to them," Imamura added.

Nagoya's High-Level Play in Game 2

Coach Dennis said his team delivered a strong effort in Game 2.

"To have the team perform at that level against a team as good as the Brex is one of the best feelings I've ever had in coaching," Dennis commented in the post-game news conference.

Entering the playoffs, the Diamond Dolphins were riding a six-game losing streak. Injuries were a factor in their struggles to end the season, Dennis said.

"We were able to put that behind us and basically start a new season," he said, "and I thought they performed in that manner."

Nagoya now has a combined record of 43-19 in the regular season and the playoffs.

Utsunomiya finished with a 45-17 record.

Semifinals: Ryukyu vs Nagoya

The Golden Kings (44-18 record through the quarterfinals) went 0-2 against the Diamond Dolphins in the regular season.

On December 10, Nagoya beat Ryukyu 73-60.

In the teams' regular-season rematch, the Diamond Dolphins won again, 80-76, on April 15.

Vying to reach the finals for the first time in the B.League era (since the 2016-17 campaign), Dennis recognizes team defense will be a key against Ryukyu.

The Australian coach assessed his team's defensive effort against the Brex after Sunday's game.

"I thought our defense this weekend was right back to our best, and we proved ourselves to be the best defensive team in the league throughout the season," Dennis said. "And to get back at such a crucial time to defend and rebound the way we did, it's what we are going to have to keep doing as we move on to [play] Ryukyu."

Jets Rebound from Game 1 Defeat

In the quarterfinals, the Crane Thunders thumped the Jets 87-68 on Saturday, halting their five-game win streak.

Chiba, needing a Game 2 win to extend the series another day, bounced back with an 85-79 victory on Sunday.

The Jets received a boost from several players in their four-point triumph in Game 3.

Forward Nassir Little, a former University of North Carolina player who spent four seasons in the NBA, had a team-best 20 points, a day after he poured in 33 points.

Backup forward Ren Kanechika chipped in with 14 points. He had zero points in Game 2.

Veteran leader Yuta Watanabe added 11 points, including 9 of 10 on free throws, six rebounds and four assists.

Jets franchise cornerstone Yuki Togashi scored eight points.

With 1:05 remaining in the fourth quarter at LaLa arena TOKYO-BAY, Watanabe sank a pair of free throws to give the Jets a 71-60 lead.

For Gunma (43-20), Trey McKinney-Jones was the high scorer with 18 points. Kazuki Hosokawa and Kerry Blackshear Jr added 12 points apiece.

Reflections from Jets Coach Gleeson

Chiba coach Trevor Gleeson said, "I think this was a truly fantastic quarterfinal series. Looking back, we lost Game 1 because we weren't able to play the kind of basketball we wanted to, but we bounced back strongly in Game 2 and then again in Game 3.

"Today was a very tough game. In the first half, we gave up the lead as our opponents shot 53% from 3-point range. But in the locker room at halftime, we reminded ourselves that this is our home court and talked about trusting what this team has built so far."

Gleason added, "From there, our defense — especially in the third quarter — improved dramatically, and we were able to build a double-digit lead. However, Gunma is a fantastic team, and they fought back. I'm glad we were able to secure the victory in the end."

Semifinals: Nagasaki vs Chiba

The Velca and the Jets met twice during the regular season.

In a two-game series in Nagasaki on December 27 and 28, the hosts recorded 86-79 and 93-77 victories.

A New Coaching Opportunity for Velca's Maor

Velca head coach Mody Maor, who has guided the Western Conference club for two seasons, will leave Nagasaki after the playoffs to begin a new job. He's accepted an assistant coaching position with the University of Michigan men's basketball team, according to published reports.

The Wolverines won the NCAA Tournament title in April, beating the University of Connecticut in the title match.

Before Maor joined the Velca as head coach in 2024, the Los Angeles-born hoops strategist led the New Zealand Breakers for two seasons.

Maor, 40, had a 26-34 record in his first season as Nagasaki bench boss. The team won 21 more games in the 2025-26 campaign.

Maor has also worked as an assistant and head coach for pro teams in Israel.

B2 Playoff Update

The Kobe Storks and Fukushima Firebonds will vie for the B.League second-division title in a three-game championship series (May 16, 17 and 19) at Glion Arena Kobe.

In the third-place series, the Shinshu Brave Warriors will play host to the Yokohama Excellence. Games are penciled in for May 16, 17 and 19 in Nagano.

Author: Ed Odeven

Follow Ed's [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and he can be found on X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.