Sports

Chiba Jets Complete Perfect Run to East Asia Super League Title

Tournament MVP Yuki Togashi led the Jets with 24 points in a back-and-forth East Asia Super League championship match against the Seoul SK Knights.

Published

2 months ago

March 11, 2024

Ed Odeven

The Chiba Jets celebrate after winning the 2023-24 East Asia Super League title on March 10 in Cebu, Philippines. (EASL)

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The Chiba Jets completed an unbeaten East Asia Super League campaign, defeating the Korean Basketball League's Seoul SK Knights 72-69 in the championship final on Sunday night, March 10 in Lapu-Lapu, Cebu province, Philippines.

Jets point guard Yuki Togashi was selected as EASL Final Four MVP after scoring a game-high 24 points, including a go-ahead 3-pointer with 4:33 to play, in the title match. That gave Chiba a 63-62 lead.

Moments earlier, Togashi made back-to-back layups to put the Jets ahead by three. But Seoul's Youngjun An kept it close, draining a 3-pointer to pull his team to within 70-69.

SK Knights standout Jameel Warney attempted a potential game-tying 3-pointer with 4 seconds remaining and missed. Chiba big man John Mooney grabbed the rebound before the final buzzer sounded and before the Jets players and their fans in the stands and watching the game overseas celebrated.

The Jets received a title-winning prize of $1 million USD (¥147 million JPY).

Togashi Reflects on the Excitement of the East Asia Super League

After receiving MVP chants from fans during and after the game, Togashi acknowledged the festive atmosphere in various countries throughout the EASL season was special.

"Everywhere we'd go, we had a lot of supporters. A lot of cheers," Togashi was quoted as saying by Rappler.com, a Philippines website. "Actually, it was really fun to play."

The veteran Japan national team point guard added, "It's not like what I did, it's the environment. Everybody loves sports, basketball, everybody enjoyed it and that was really great for us. It was really not only about myself but it was the whole atmosphere that created the whole environment."

In a statement posted on the team's official X (formerly Twitter) account, the Jets paid tribute to their loyal supporters.

"To come this far through a tough schedule, we were able to do so thanks to everyone who continued to support the team," read a portion of the post. "Thank you so much!"

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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.