Wakayama had the momentum in the opening half, but Toshiba prevailed in the latter as the Brave Thunders defeated the Trians 69-61 in Game 1 of the NBL Finals at Yoyogi National Gymnasium No. 2 on Wednesday night.
Youngster Naoto Tsuji led the game with 21 points for Toshiba, while league MVP Nick Fazekas racked up 17 points, 19 rebounds and six assists. Mamadou Diouf chipped in with 14 points and three steals.
Wakayama, a first-year professional club, succeeded in putting the clamps on the Toshiba offense early and ended the first half with a 36-29 lead.