Utsunomiya Brex guard Hironori Watanabe runs the offense against the Ryukyu Golden Kings on May 3, 2026, at Nikkan Arena Tochigi. (©B.LEAGUE)
The 2025-26 B.League season concluded on Sunday, May 3, with eight of 26 teams advancing to the playoffs.
Led by head coach Zico Coronel, the reigning champion Utsunomiya Brex had the best record in the Eastern Conference (45-15).
Among the Western Conference's 13 teams, the Nagasaki Velca, guided by Mody Maor, finished with the top record (47-13).
In the best-of-three quarterfinals, Nagasaki will take on the visiting Alvark Tokyo (41-19). Games are scheduled for May 7, 8 and 10.
The SeaHorses Mikawa (43-17) will play host to the Ryukyu Golden Kings (42-18). Matches are on May 8, 9 and 11.
Utsunomiya begins its title quest with a first-round showdown against the visiting Nagoya Diamond Dolphins (41-19). Games are penciled in for May 9, 10 and 11.
The Chiba Jets (42-18) face the Gunma Crane Thunders (42-18). Matches are scheduled for May 9, 10 and 11.
Notes on the B.League Season
Which B.League team had the best record of the 18 clubs that will miss the playoffs?
The Levanga Hokkaido, who had a 37-23 campaign.
With 10 wins and 50 defeats, the Akita Northern Happinets finished with the worst record.
The Jets have the longest winning streak (five games) entering the playoffs.
Meanwhile, the Diamond Dolphins are riding a six-game losing streak.
Placing first in a statistical category is a source of pride for pro basketball players.
That said, the 2025-26 stat leaders were Jarrett Culver of the Sendai 89ers (scoring: 26.5 points per game), Utsunomiya's DJ Newbill (assists: 6.4), Sean O'Mara of the Fighting Eagles Nagoya (rebounding: 10.4), Aaron Henry of the Diamond Dolphins (steals: 1.9) and David Nwaba of the San-en NeoPhoenix (blocks: 1.3).
Velca sharpshooter Hyunjung Lee was the 3-point shooting percentage leader (47.9%).
The 89ers' Nathan Boothe finished first in free-throw shooting percentage (94.3).
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Baseball
Ohtani Named NL Pitcher of the Month
Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani was selected as the National League Pitcher of the Month for March and April, it was announced on Monday, May 4.
Through the end of April, Ohtani had made five starts and worked 30 innings. He allowed 17 hits and struck out 34.
Ohtani went 2-1 with a 0.60 ERA to earn an MLB monthly pitching award for the first time in his career.
Murakami Ties Judge for MLB Homer Lead
Chicago White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami smacked his 14th home run to help lead this team to a 6-0 road victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Monday, May 4.
In the fourth inning, Murakami belted a two-run shot over the center-field fence. He smacked a high fastball on Jose Soriano's 2-2 pitch.
"Being able to handle a pitch that was a little up like that really gives me confidence," Murakami said, according to Kyodo News. "I want to keep building on it."
Murakami, who left the Tokyo Yakult Swallows after the 2025 NPB season, is tied with Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees for the MLB lead in homers.
Tennis
Nishikori Says He'll Retire at End of Season
Kei Nishikori, a former world No 4 men's singles player, will retire at the end of the 2026 season.
Nishikori, 36, made an announcement on April 30 on social media.
"Today, I have an announcement," Nishikori wrote on X (formerly Twitter). "I have decided to retire from professional tennis at the end of this season.
"Since I was a child, I have been passionate about tennis and I have continued to pursue it with only one dream in my heart: 'I want to compete on the world stage.' "
Nishikori added, "Looking back on everything up to this point, I can proudly say I gave it my all. I am truly happy to have walked this path."
Currently ranked 558th in the world, Nishikori has had a slew of injuries in recent years. He has a career win-loss record of 451-231 in singles matches.
Nishikori, who turned pro in 2007, was the US Open men's singles runner-up in 2014. He was the bronze medalist at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
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.
