FILE–Kyoto Hannaryz player Matthew Wright. B.LEAGUE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—Matthew Wright led the balanced attack of the Kyoto Hannaryz in escaping the Fighting Eagles Nagoya, 80-77, in the 2022-23 B.League season on Wednesday at Kyoto City Gymnasium.
Wright fired 17 points and dished out 10 assists on top of five rebounds, while Cheick Diallo posted a monster double-double of 19 points and 15 rebounds to snap Kyoto’s two-game skid.
But it was Jarrod Uthoff who nailed a game-winning triple with two seconds left to prevent the Fighting Eagles from forcing overtime as he also finished with 17 points and five rebounds.
Wright split his free throws for a 77-74 edge with 20 seconds left, paving the way Nagoya’s Reiya Noyaki to tie the game with a triple with 10 ticks left.
Fortunately for Kyoto, Uthoff came to the rescue with a clutch trey of his own while Hiromu Nakamura missed a potential game-tying shot as time ran out.
Kyoto improved to 18-33, bouncing back from a pair of losses to the Ryukyu Golden Kings last weekend.
The Fighting Eagles dropped to 20-31 despite Nozaki’s 21-point effort and Johnathan Williams’ 20 points.
Meanwhile, Kai Sotto only scored five points but tallied nine rebounds, two blocks, one steal, and an assist as the playoff-bound Hiroshima Dragonflies dominated Osaka Evessa, 99-69, at Hiroshima Sun Plaza Hall.
Nick Mayo showed the way for Hiroshima with 20 points, six rebounds, and four assists, while Naoto Tsuji and Ryo Terashima chipped in 14 and 10 points, respectively.
Kerry Blackshear Jr. provided the spark from the bench with 12 points and eight rebounds as the Dragonflies rose to a 38-13 slate.
Over at Matsue Gymnasium, Carl Tamayo was not fielded in the game but the Ryukyu Golden Kings trounced the Shimane Susanoo Magic, 87-72.
Jack Cooley propelled Ryukyu with 20 points and 14 rebounds. Keita Imamura scattered 19 points, seven rebounds, and five assists, while Allen Durham had 17 points and eight rebounds as they earned their third straight win for a 40-11 record.
Kiefer Ravena and the Shiga Lakes (12-38) won by default over the Nagoya Diamond Dolphins (36-14), who had four players out due to flu with two more sidelined due to injury.
Dwight Ramos and Thirdy Ravena, meanwhile, suffered tough losses.
Ramos was limited to only two points, three assists, and two rebounds as Levanga Hokkaido’s two-game winning streak was snapped by Alvark Tokyo, 77-69, at Hokkai Kita-yale.
Levanga dropped to 16-35 after beating Gunma twice last weekend.
Ravena put up 11 points and seven assists but he couldn’t stop the woes of the San-En NeoPhoenix (19-32), who absorbed their fifth straight loss after losing to the Niigata Albirex BB, 90-73, at City Hall Plaza Ao-re Nagaoka.