After missing his team’s first six games due to a hamstring injury he suffered right before the season opening, Kobe Paras finally suited up for Chiba and he made sure to make an impact.
Paras scored nine points on three out of seven shooting from the floor as the Altiri picked up their fifth win in seven games in the 2022-23 B.League Division II season at the expense of Roosevelt Adams and Kagawa, 75-66, Saturday at Gold’s Gym Makuhari Bay Park Arena.
The Altiri, mentored by former Australian national team coach Andrej Lemanis, relied on its suffocating defense to hold down the Five Arrows to an anemic 33.8-percent shooting percentage from the floor. Kagawa also committed more turnovers to negate their advantage off the glass as the Altiri Chiba never trailed the entire game.
Adams, though, accounted himself well despite being unable to prevent Kagawa from slumping to the bottom of the standings with just a solitary win in seven games. The 6-foot-5 Adams, who recently played for Gilas Pilipinas, had his most productive output in Japan with 10 points to go with seven boards and a steal in 27 minutes of play.
Over at Nishinomiya Central Gymnasium, Jordan Heading had a second straight 10-point game while his team Nagasaki dropped just their second game in seven outings in an upset 95-100 loss to Nishinomiya which improved to a 3-3 record.
Heading had a 27 and 25-point explosions prior to the last two games but could only connect on three off eight from the floor against the Storks who made sure to always have a defender to shadow the Filipino sharpshooter. Heading found other ways to contribute to his team’s cause as he also had four rebounds and five assists.
Fukuoka finally unleashed Gregzilla, and he did not disappoint.
Greg Slaughter started the game for the Rizing Zephyr which led by as much as 27 points in its 92-71 demolition of Fukushima at Toyota Crown Arena.
Slaughter shot an efficient 71.4-percent from the floor on five out of seven shooting to finish with 10 points, including a monster two-handed slam in the end game to contribute to the Rizing Zephyr’s third victory in six games. The former top overall pick in the PBA also grabbed six boards in what easily is his most impressive performance in the B. League.
