Gunma Overpowers Defending B.League Champion Hiroshima in the Season Opener

The Gunma Crane Thunders ushered in the 2024-25 B.League season with a runaway victory over the reigning champion Hiroshima Dragonflies on Thursday, October 3.

Gunma held Hiroshima to 15 or fewer points in all four quarters, giving new head coach Kyle Milling's club an 82-53 win against his former club at Open House Arena Ota.

Veteran guards Koh Flippin and Kazuki Hosokawa paced the Crane Thunders with 13 points apiece. Kaleb Tarczewski chipped in with 12 points and Trey McKinney-Jones had 11. German forward Johannes Thiemann, a B.League newcomer, supplied nine points and a team-best seven rebounds, while Allen Hachimura, whose older brother Rui plays for the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers, had seven points and savvy playmaker Yuma Fujii, an offseason addition to the team, dished out a game-high seven assists.

Gunma and Hiroshima are scheduled to play the second game of the two-game series on Saturday. Tipoff is 3:05 PM.

"It's the first win of the season and this year our slogan is 'the one,' being united, uniting Gunma," Milling said in an on-court interview.

Speaking directly to the fans at the arena and those watching the broadcast, Milling added: "So as a team, as a club, we really want to create a great relationship with you guys."

Shooting Percentage Was a Big Factor in the B.League Opener

The Crane Thunders, coming off a 31-29 season in 2023-24, shot 51.9% (28 of 54) from the floor in their opening game under Milling. They also held the Dragonflies to 33.9% (19 of 56).

B.League broadcaster Chris Sasaki asked Milling to evaluate Gunma's defense after the game in an on-court interview.

The American coach responded by saying, "We've been working hard since the start of the season to try to improve defensively as well as the rebounding. Tonight our defense was pretty good, but we can still improve the rebounding for Saturday night. 

"So overall, after all the hard work, it's still good but we can, for sure, get better."

Defense Sets the Tone for the Crane Thunders

In the first quarter, Hiroshima guard Ryo Yamazaki canned a 3-pointer at the 9:28 mark for the first basket of the 2024-25 B.League season.

Moments later, Gunma grabbed the lead for the first time. The sequence of events was a common occurrence throughout the game. Hosokawa made a steal and Tarczewski capitalized on the fast-break scoring opportunity, scoring from close range. That put the hosts ahead 4-3.

The Crane Thunders led 20-14 after the first quarter and extended their lead to 36-26 entering the second half.

In the opening half, Flippin and Tarczewski led Gunma with eight points apiece.

The Crane Thunders made nine steals in the first half, with seven players recording a takeaway. Hachimura and Hosokawa both made two to lead the defensive charge.

As the game continued after the intermission, Hiroshima's miscues contributed to the lopsided score.

Hosokawa ignited the Gunma offense in the third quarter with eight points on 3-for-3 shooting, including a pair of 3-pointers.

The Dragonflies trailed 59-41 entering the fourth quarter.

A 17-0 scoring spurt capped by a Hachimura 3-pointer extended the lead to 67-41 with 8:27 remaining in the game.

A Disappointing Opening Game for the Dragonflies

The Dragonflies, now guided by first-year head coach Shogo Asayama, finished with nine assists and 21 turnovers.

Ignited by their tenacious defense, utilizing full-court pressure and other effective schemes, the Crane Thunders made 13 steals. On offense, Gunma turned those takeaways into 29 points.

The Crane Thunders' energy was another telling factor in this game. They pushed the pace at both ends of the floor, which contributed greatly to their 21-5 advantage in fast-break points.

Kerry Blackshear Jr paced the Dragonflies with 20 points. Nick Mayo scored seven points and Yamazaki and Ryu Watanabe both had six.

After the game, Asayama commented on his team's performance in this high-profile environment, the B.League season opener.

"Today's game was the opening match of the B-League season, so everyone was paying attention to it," he stated. "I am honestly disappointed with the result. As for the reasons for the loss, as you can see from the numbers, we fell apart due to turnovers."

Asayama added, "[As a result], we were not able to take the shots we normally take, and we created our own heavy pressure. In the second half, we had a good start, but we had turnovers and wasted [opportunities], which is another regrettable point. We hope to challenge ourselves again throughout the long season."

Game Notes

Thiemannn led the Crane Thunders with three steals. Teammates McKinney-Jones, Hachimura, Naoto Tsuji and Hosokawa all had two.

Well-traveled veteran player Ira Brown, who suited up for the Chiba Jets last season, made his Dragonflies debut on Thursday. In 20-plus minutes of court time, the 42-year-old forward had four points, eight rebounds and two steals.

Hiroshima center Tshilidzi Kawata was placed on the injury list on Tuesday, October 1 with a herniated cervical disc. He will be eligible to be reactivated on October 31.

In other B.League news, the Nagasaki Velca are set to face the visiting Sunrockers Shibuya on Friday, October 4 at the brand-new Happiness Arena. And there's a full slate of games involving all 24 teams on Saturday, with 20 of them opening their season that day.

RELATED:

• B.League Coaching Carousel: New Bench Bosses in Hiroshima, Gunma, Yokohama and Nagasaki
• B.League Finals: Dragonflies Play Dynamic Defense in Game 3 to Win the Title
• Hiroshima Dragonflies Bolster Playoff Hopes with Stellar Play in April

Author: Ed Odeven

Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.