Chiba—The Japan B.LEAGUE’s Chiba Jets utilized their three-point shooting in the third quarter to beat Philippine Basketball Association side TNT Tropang Giga 93-75 in Group A on the opening game of the East Asia Super League 2023-24 season.
The Jets went full throttle in the third quarter after trailing by as many as seven in the first half, outscoring the Tropang Giga, 26-12, to give themselves a 15-point lead on the way to the victory.
Chiba rained threes in the second half, hitting 10 of 21 for a 47 percent shooting from deep after being held to just 33 percent from the same spot in the first half.
On the other hand, TNT missed out on some key players and compounded by its poor shooting from the three-point distance, going six for 27 in the game for 22 percent. Star import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson was 0-for-9 from three. He finished with 15 points, but shot just 22 percent from the field.
Ira Brown, former San Miguel Beer import in the PBA, finished with a team-high 19 points and 12 rebounds, recording his first double-double for his new team. The 41-year-old veteran was unstoppable in the interior, going seven of eight inside the paint.
Shooting was the biggest story coming out of this game. The Jets shot 46 percent from the field, going 41 percent from beyond the arc.
In contrast, TNT struggled all night with its shooting, hitting just 38 percent in the game, including an abysmal 22 percent from three.
“We didn’t know what to expect, so everything is kind of new. It’s TNT’s first game of the season, but they play hard. It’s an intense game and I think it’s good for the fans,” said Chiba head coach John Patrick.
TNT counterpart Jojo Lastimosa offered no excuses despite missing the services of key players Calvin Oftana, Roger Pogoy, and Poy Erram, all part of the national training pool team, along with Mikey Williams.
“We’re still missing a lot of guys, but this is not an excuse,” he said. “Hats off and congratulations to the home team, the Jets. They played really well.”
The scores
Chiba (93) – Brown 19, Stephens 19, Kanechica 18, Okura 12, Mutts 9, Nishimura 6, Ogawa 6, Togashi 2, Arao 2, Kaishu 0, Sekiya 0.
TNT (75) – Miller 22, Hollis-Jefferson 15, Khobuntin 15, Castro 12, Montalbo 4, Heruela 4, Reyes 3, K. Williams 0, Flores 0, Ganuelas-Rosser 0.
Quarterscores: 21-22; 45-44; 71-56; 93-75.