The Alvark Tokyo improved to 2-0 on the new season with a hard-earned 94-84 victory over the visiting Niigata Albirex BB on Sunday afternoon.
Trailing 42-41 at halftime, the Alvark excelled for key stretches of the second half and pulled ahead by as many 20 points, but couldn't maintain that intensity and productivity for entire half at Arena Tachikawa Tachihi.
Tokyo center Alex Kirk scored a team-best 23 points, including 15 in the second half, and handed out five assists. Four teammates also had double-digit scoring performances: Daiki Tanaka (15 points, six assists), newcomers Yutaro Suda and Milan Macvan (14 apiece) and Shohei Kikuchi (10), with Genki Kojima adding nine points.