Still recovering from a muscle strain, Bobby Ray Parks Jr. played just 11 minutes again during Nagoya’s back-to-back against Hiroshima.
It did not matter, though. The Diamond Dolphins finally cracked the win column in the 2021-22 B.League season, defeating the Dragonflies, 87-77, Sunday afternoon at Dolphin’s Arena.
Parks played in the tail-end of each of the first three quarters as head coach Shawn Dennis and his staff want to break in their recovering player slowly. The three-time ASEAN Basketball League Most Valuable Player had a point, a rebound, an assist, and a steal. He attempted just one shot.
Coty Clarke took the cudgels for Nagoya this time around, producing an all-around line of 21 points, seven assists, five rebounds, and four steals.
Behind Clarke, the Diamond Dolphins went on a 16-4 run in the final frame that turned a two-point lead into an 81-67 lead.
Scott Etherton added 17 points and six rebounds while Tenketsu Harimoto buried three treys for 14 points. Takumi Saito also had 12 points and five assists.
This is Nagoya’s first win of the season, while handing Hiroshima their first loss.
Charles Jackson tallied another double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds as did Greg Echenique who 14 points and 11 rebounds. Nick Mayo also had 18 points.
Parks and Nagoya will welcome Dwight Ramos to the B.League as they face Toyama next weekend.
