Toyama Grouses guard Masashi Joho celebrated his 34th birthday on Sunday with a 27-point performance in the team's 98-90 win over the visiting Aomori Wat's.
Joho, an enduring star throughout the bj-league's 11 seasons, helped the Grouses capture the Eastern Conference regular-season crown with a vintage performance. He capitalized on opportunities throughout the game and made an impact at the free-throw line, knocking down 9 of 10 shots in Toyama.
He had three steals and two assists on the final day of the league's final season. (Twenty-three of 24 bj-league teams are set to join the new B. League, a 45-team, three-division circuit that tips off in the fall. The Hiroshima Lightning are not scheduled to join the new league.)