Alvark, Jets set for battle in title tilt
Two powerhouse East Division teams are right where they want to be. The Alvark Tokyo need one more victory to capture back-to-back B. League titles, while the Chiba Jets Funabashi can claim their first league title by avenging last May's 85-60 defeat to the Alvark ...
Jets outplay East rival Brex, extend winning streak to 11
Between them, the Chiba Jets Funabashi and Tochigi Brex have won a remarkable 85 of 102 regular-season games this season. What's more, the Jets completed an Emperor's Cup three-peat in January, while the Brex have stayed on their rivals' heels all season long. The latest chapter ...
Chiba's Michael Parker continues to improve potent offensive game in latter stages of stellar career
Michael Parker's on-court excellence is a key reason the Chiba Jets Funabashi own the B. League's best record (40-7). When a player dominates and the paint, swatting shots, grabbing rebounds, intercepting passes in bunches, he helps set the tone for his team. Parker's contributions to Japan ...
Kosuke Ishii ignites high-flying Jets
Chiba Jets Funabashi perimeter marksman Kosuke Ishii had the hot hand early in Saturday's contest. The 31-year-old shooting guard took four shots in the first period. He made them all, including 3 of 3 from 3-point range against the visiting Rizing Zephyr Fukuoka. By the end ...
Jets cap comeback against Alvark in final second, book spot in Emperor's Cup final
The Chiba Jets Funabashi are returning to the Emperor's Cup final. To get there, it took an improbable chain of events ,but Chiba now has a shot at winning its third consecutive tournament crown. Michael Parker nailed a game-winning shot with 0.5 seconds remaining against the ...
Jets flying high as second half of season gets started
Just over half of the season remains, but it appears to be a six-team title race. Those six all have at least five more wins than losses, while the other dozen first-division clubs don't. Atop the chart are the Tochigi Brex and Chiba Jets Funabashi (both ...
Jets place premium on continuity
After a championship runner-up finish and the team's first East Division regular-season title, the Chiba Jets Funabashi aren't making wholesale changes as they prepare for the upcoming season. Head coach Atsushi Ono, who has guided the Jets to 44- and 46-win campaigns in 2016-17 and ...
Alvark capture B. League title
Championships are won with well-orchestrated teamwork. The Alvark Tokyo did just that and played a polished, patient but aggressive game on Saturday. They showcased flashy plays but mostly stuck with their bread-and-butter offense, moving the ball and taking shots in players' comfort zones. Smart plan. Conversely, ...
Josh Peppers and Michael Parker reaping rewards after years of hard work in Japanese hoop scene
John Neumann gave the green light to bring American forwards Josh Peppers and Michael Parker to Japan. He had a good reason: He needed good players to make Rizing Fukuoka competitive during the expansion team's inaugural 2007-08 campaign in the bj-league. An astute talent evaluator, ...
Chiba triumphs over Ryukyu, claims East Division crown
It all started with a logical offensive strategy: get the ball to the big guys inside. And it worked in a big way. Which also created frequent scoring opportunities on the perimeter, too. Frontcourt mates Michael Parker and Gavin Edwards combined to make 16 of 19 ...
Jets dig deep to hold off Sunrockers
For the Chiba Jets Funabashi, their 42nd victory of the season in game No. 55 was a hard-earned triumph on Sunday. It was a win that wasn't determined until the final buzzer sounded. In succession, Josh Harrellson and Leo Vendrame missed 3-pointers in the closing ...
Readers weigh in on top underrated players
It's often easy to identify the superstars in sports. After all, people talk about their accomplishments repeatedly and recognize their faces from widespread exposure in the social media era. But what about the more unheralded players who fill roster spots and contribute to their respective teams? They ...
