Shimane center Jeral Davis dominated defensively in Game 1 of the Western Conference first-round playoff series, helping the Susanoo Magic rout the visiting Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix 80-67 on Friday afternoon.
Davis, who was named to the 2012-13 Best Five team earlier this week, swatted seven shots and put his stamp on the game by protecting the basket. The 211-cm big man, who has led the bj-league in blocked shots for three straight seasons, hauled in 11 rebounds and scored 12 points on 6-for-11 shooting in a terrific 40-minute performance in Matsue, Shimane Prefecture before a crowd of 2,375.
Shimane took a 14-11 advantage into the second quarter and increased the margin as the game progressed. The No. 3 seed Susanoo Magic led 39-34 at halftime and 57-45 entering the fourth quarter.