In a showdown of East Division squads on Friday, the Alvark Tokyo's deep bench and overall talent played key roles as they prevailed over the Levanga Hokkaido in the B. League series opener.
Shooting guard Diante Garrett led Tokyo with a dynamic, high-energy, all-around performance, scoring a game-high 22 points, including 9-for-9 at the free-throw line, in the hosts' 82-73 triumph. The Iowa State alum added five rebounds, six assists and seven steals in 29-plus minutes.
Garrett, who appeared in 90 combined games during the 2012-13 and 2013-14 NBA seasons for the Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz, led all players in free-throw attempts, assists and steals as Tokyo (18-4) finished strong.