Nakamura, Gunma pull away in OT vs Levanga, finish B.League stint 2–0

Powered by a sterling performance from Takuto Nakamura, the Gunma Crane Thunders showcased composure down the stretch to hand Levanga Hokkaido a 101–91 defeat in overtime and close out their B.League Manila campaign with a 2–0 record at the Mall of Asia Arena, Sept.10.

Nakamura fueled the Thunder’s offensive outburst with 25 baskets, five rebounds, and three assists, while Yuma Fuji and Stanley Johnson poured in 18 and 17 markers, respectively, to muscle their way to victory.

Gunma surrendered its early 11–28 lead after Levanga battled back to force a 91-all deadlock at the end of regulation.

After a nip-and-tuck affair late in the game, Gunma wasted no time flashing their all-around brilliance, with Fuji sinking a triple to begin the early rampage, 94–91.

From thereon, the lime-clad cagers were like a raging bull set free.

Gunma kept pressing hard as Kerry Blackshear Jr. misfired from deep before Nakamura came in as the knight in shining armor, as he drove toward the sea of men-in-black to connect an offensive rebound and zoom into a comfortable 96–91 advantage.

With Levanga’s comeback beginning to crumble, Gunma moved in for the kill as Fuji buried a cold-blooded three before Nakamura added timely layups to hammer the final nail to the coffin.

Meanwhile, Levanga had their moment by averting their first-quarter hiccup and flipping the script in the second and third cantos behind Dwight Ramos and Keisei Tominaga, but that wasn’t enough to overwhelm Gunma’s overtime onslaught.

Tominaga delivered a game-high 34 markers, six rebounds, and one assist, while Ramos added 17 points, three boards, four assists, and one steal.

After the stellar tournament, Gunma’s AJ Edu was named the TOYOTA CHOICE MVP.

Both teams will continue gearing up for their future stints.

Reports from GMA News