Title-chasing teams thrive on down-to-the-wire contests.
The Kawasaki Brave Thunders edged the host Sendai 89ers, winning 91-86 on Friday while providing another example of this.
Star center Nick Fazekas, a former NBA player, paced the Brave Thunders (34-6) with a game-high 34 points, nine rebounds and five assists. He made 12 of 20 shots from inside the 3-point arc and went 6-for-6 at the foul line. He leads the league in scoring at 28.1 points per game.Mamadou Diouf chipped in with 11 points and 11 rebounds for Kawasaki, which trailed 40-38 at halftime. Yuma Fujii and Ryusei Shinoyama scored 10 points apiece. Shinoyama also handed out four assists.