Gunma Crane Thunders: Game Result - May 2 (Sat) vs Sendai 89ERS, Resona Group B.LEAGUE 2025-26 Season
The Gunma Crane Thunders secured a victory against the Sendai 89ERS in the B.LEAGUE 2025-26 season. Despite numerous injuries, the players fought hard, and the strong support from home fans contributed to their close win.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 3, 2026 at 04:22
- 🔍 Collected: May 2, 2026 at 20:01
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 2, 2026 at 20:09 (8 min after Collected)
Starting 5
■ Gunma Crane Thunders
#6 Takuto Nakamura
#8 Kelly Blackshear Jr.
#9 Naoto Tsuji
#15 A.J. Edu
#16 Kenny Asano
■ Sendai 89ERS
#7 Seiya Funyu
#8 Jarrett Culver
#9 Sergio El Darwich
#15 Shota Watanabe
#75 Soichiro Inoue
Key Stats
#0 Yuma Fujii 5 points 4 assists
#1 Koh Flippin 6 points 4 rebounds 5 assists 4 steals
#6 Takuto Nakamura 9 points 6 assists
#8 Kelly Blackshear Jr. 27 points 6 rebounds 7 assists
#9 Naoto Tsuji 10 points
#15 A.J. Edu 7 rebounds
#16 Kenny Asano 10 points 3P (2/7) 7 rebounds
#29 Kazuki Hosokawa 14 points 3P (4/6) 2 rebounds
#55 Daichi Taniguchi 2 points
Head Coach Kyle Milling
I think it was a very difficult game for both teams. We had many injured players, and it being the last game of the season, I felt it was a game where both sides struggled to find their rhythm. Nevertheless, thanks to the players' hard work, we were able to secure the victory in the end, which was good.
(Regarding Kenny Asano's first start of the season in today's game, please tell us about the intention behind his selection and his extended playing time.)
Currently, we have many injured players in the team, and several key players are out. Therefore, someone else had to fill that void and step up to play for extended periods. Given this background, we gave Asano a chance today, and I believe he did a very good job meeting expectations.
(There was a long period where only one foreign player was on the court. Did the experience of trying various lineups throughout the season prove useful in such situations?)
As you said, we have indeed tried many different lineups this season. It is precisely because of that experience that the players were able to adapt well to changes in the situation and perform well by adjusting.
(If you win tomorrow, there's a possibility of hosting the Championship (CS) at home. Please share your aspirations for tomorrow's game.)
Tomorrow, both teams will likely play with similar lineups as today, so we want to perform even better than today. And above all, tomorrow is the last home game of the regular season. We want to show a wonderful performance for our fans who have truly supported the team throughout this season.
Player Kelly Blackshear Jr.
I think today's game was very competitive. Sendai has a lot of talent, and they posed a threat with their ability to score from anywhere with all five players. Also, we currently have several injured players, so we really had to play very aggressively, and in the end, I believe we were able to win because of the support from our home fans.
(Given that the opponent also had injured players, what was your game plan?)
Indeed, with Sendai's two big men out, we anticipated them playing 5-out or at a fast pace. They actually hurt us quite a bit in those areas, so we will definitely review the footage, make adjustments for tomorrow's game, and strategize to slow them down.
(Please reflect on the situation with about 9 seconds left in the 4th quarter.)
In that moment, I felt I had a significant advantage. Even before that, our team's inside-out play was working well, so I thought that by asserting myself inside, the outside players would open up again. However, the opportunity came to me, so I made sure to finish strong.
(What were you conscious of while playing during the long periods with only one foreign player?)
It wasn't an ideal situation, but this team is built to compete no matter who is on the court. Earlier in the season, Kenny Lawson Jr. and Woodbury helped the team, but they are not here now. Nevertheless, for the past month, everyone has been ready to play at any time, so I think we achieved a great team victory.
(Please share your aspirations for tomorrow's game.)
No matter the situation, we will...
■ Gunma Crane Thunders
#6 Takuto Nakamura
#8 Kelly Blackshear Jr.
#9 Naoto Tsuji
#15 A.J. Edu
#16 Kenny Asano
■ Sendai 89ERS
#7 Seiya Funyu
#8 Jarrett Culver
#9 Sergio El Darwich
#15 Shota Watanabe
#75 Soichiro Inoue
Key Stats
#0 Yuma Fujii 5 points 4 assists
#1 Koh Flippin 6 points 4 rebounds 5 assists 4 steals
#6 Takuto Nakamura 9 points 6 assists
#8 Kelly Blackshear Jr. 27 points 6 rebounds 7 assists
#9 Naoto Tsuji 10 points
#15 A.J. Edu 7 rebounds
#16 Kenny Asano 10 points 3P (2/7) 7 rebounds
#29 Kazuki Hosokawa 14 points 3P (4/6) 2 rebounds
#55 Daichi Taniguchi 2 points
Head Coach Kyle Milling
I think it was a very difficult game for both teams. We had many injured players, and it being the last game of the season, I felt it was a game where both sides struggled to find their rhythm. Nevertheless, thanks to the players' hard work, we were able to secure the victory in the end, which was good.
(Regarding Kenny Asano's first start of the season in today's game, please tell us about the intention behind his selection and his extended playing time.)
Currently, we have many injured players in the team, and several key players are out. Therefore, someone else had to fill that void and step up to play for extended periods. Given this background, we gave Asano a chance today, and I believe he did a very good job meeting expectations.
(There was a long period where only one foreign player was on the court. Did the experience of trying various lineups throughout the season prove useful in such situations?)
As you said, we have indeed tried many different lineups this season. It is precisely because of that experience that the players were able to adapt well to changes in the situation and perform well by adjusting.
(If you win tomorrow, there's a possibility of hosting the Championship (CS) at home. Please share your aspirations for tomorrow's game.)
Tomorrow, both teams will likely play with similar lineups as today, so we want to perform even better than today. And above all, tomorrow is the last home game of the regular season. We want to show a wonderful performance for our fans who have truly supported the team throughout this season.
Player Kelly Blackshear Jr.
I think today's game was very competitive. Sendai has a lot of talent, and they posed a threat with their ability to score from anywhere with all five players. Also, we currently have several injured players, so we really had to play very aggressively, and in the end, I believe we were able to win because of the support from our home fans.
(Given that the opponent also had injured players, what was your game plan?)
Indeed, with Sendai's two big men out, we anticipated them playing 5-out or at a fast pace. They actually hurt us quite a bit in those areas, so we will definitely review the footage, make adjustments for tomorrow's game, and strategize to slow them down.
(Please reflect on the situation with about 9 seconds left in the 4th quarter.)
In that moment, I felt I had a significant advantage. Even before that, our team's inside-out play was working well, so I thought that by asserting myself inside, the outside players would open up again. However, the opportunity came to me, so I made sure to finish strong.
(What were you conscious of while playing during the long periods with only one foreign player?)
It wasn't an ideal situation, but this team is built to compete no matter who is on the court. Earlier in the season, Kenny Lawson Jr. and Woodbury helped the team, but they are not here now. Nevertheless, for the past month, everyone has been ready to play at any time, so I think we achieved a great team victory.
(Please share your aspirations for tomorrow's game.)
No matter the situation, we will...