B.League All-Star Game Defined by Endless Array of 3-Pointers

By the end of the fast-paced first quarter, B.Black and B.White had attempted 28 shots from beyond the 3-point arc. This became the centerpiece of the 2025 B.League All-Star Game. The two teams combined for 211 shots from the floor, 113 of which were 3-point attempts. B.White, led by the tone-setting performances of former NBA player Yuta Watanabe (206-F-1994, college: GWU), his Chiba Jets teammate Yuki Togashi (170-PG-1993) and others, built a 62-48 lead by halftime and held on for a 119-114 victory on Sunday, January 19. Fan favorite Togashi earned MVP honors with a 15–point performance, knocking down 5 of 11 3-point shots. At LaLa arena TOKYO-BAY in Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture, an announced crowd of 9,636 saw a contest that was a near carbon copy of the 2024 B.League All-Star Game. In the previous January's midseason showcase, B.White beat B.Black 128-123, and the two All-Star squads launched a combined 119 3-point attempts at Okinawa Arena. After being selected as All-Star Game MVP, Togashi spoke about the enjoyment of All-Star weekend from his perspective. "I have been playing for Chiba Jets for a long time (since 2015), and I enjoyed the two days of [events], including being selected by many votes, playing as a starter, and winning the MVP award," Togashi said. He added, "I enjoyed the events, the guests and all the people who came to make the event a great success. … I am very happy that we were able to hold a very successful All-Star event in Funabashi city." Showmanship was on display from start to finish, with razzle-dazzle passes and slam dunks. Indeed, there was also an overemphasis on long-range shots. The opening tipoff was contested by 188-cm Jeff Gibbs (188-F-1980, college: Otterbein) (Koshigaya Alphas) for B.White and 204-cm Koya Kawamata (204-F-1998) (Nagasaki Velca) for B.Black, who nabbed the opening possession. Seconds later, Kawamata converted a layup for the game's first points. Velca teammate Yudai Baba (196-SF-1995) was credited with the assist. Watanabe banked in a 3-pointer for B.White's first bucket, pulling his team to within 4-3 in the early going. Back and forth, the teams traded baskets, with open looks and exaggerated mannerisms by the shooters adding to the visual spectacle and the entertainment. B.White took a 31-26 lead into the second quarter after Watanabe (seven points) and Ryukyu Golden Kings big man Jack Cooley (206-C/F-1991, college: Notre Dame, agency: Pensack Sports) (six) scored nearly half of the team's points in the opening period. Kawamata led all scorers with eight points on 4-for-4 shooting in the first quarter. Also for B.Black, Kawasaki Brave Thunders playmaker Ryusei Shinoyama (178-PG-1988) and Utsunomiya Brex floor leader DJ Newbill had six points apiece in the 10-minute period. B.Black chipped away at the lead in the second half, but B.White still led 92-80 entering the final quarter. And that proved to be a big enough cushion to hold off their opponent's comeback attempt. SeaHorses Mikawa All-Star Yutaroh Suda (190-G-1992) paced B.White with 21 points on 8-for-11 shooting, followed by Watanabe's 16-point effort supplemented by three assists, two steals and two blocks. Cooley finished with 16 points and a game-high 21 rebounds. San-en NeoPhoenix small forward Hirotaka Yoshii added 14 points. For B.Black, Alvark Tokyo big man Sebastian Saiz (205-PF-1994, college: Ole Miss) had a team-best 19 points, Newbill poured in 18, Kawamata had 15 and Dwayne Evans (201-F-1992, college: St.Louis, agency: Pensack Sports) (Hiroshima Dragonflies) added 14. Gunma Crane Thunders Al-Star Naoto Tsuji (185-G/F-1989) chipped in with 11 points, all of which he scored in the fourth quarter. Utsunomiya's Yusuke Endo (186-G-1989) scored nine points, while Josh Hawkinson (208-F-1995, college: WSU) (Sunrockers Shibuya) added seven points, nine rebounds and seven assists.
Courtesy of: japan-forward.com