It's only been two games, but new coach Bill Cartwright's no-nonsense challenge to the Osaka Evessa — to play a smart, aggressive brand of basketball, as revealed by several players — is paying off.
Osaka took control of the game in the third quarter and held on to defeat the Miyazaki Shining Suns 89-79 on Sunday afternoon to complete a two-game sweep.
Guard Dwayne Lathan scored 11 of his team-high 15 points in the second quarter, Mike Bell added 14 points, 12 rebounds and two steals, Nathan Walkup scored 13 points, Taizo Kawabe had 12 and Satoshi Takeda and Rick Rickert each had 11 points. Rickert, a former Minnesota Timberwolves draft pick, also hauled in a game-high 18 rebounds, including seven offensive boards, as Osaka created numerous second-chance scoring opportunities in Cartwright's second game in charge.