Gunma Crane Thunders: Game Result] May 3 (Sun) vs Sendai 89ERS Resona Group B.LEAGUE 2025-26 Season
Gunma Crane Thunders secured a dramatic overtime victory against the Sendai 89ERS on May 3rd, marking their 42nd win and highest winning percentage since promotion to B1. This win builds significant momentum for the upcoming championship.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 4, 2026 at 06:39
- 🔍 Collected: May 3, 2026 at 22:01
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 3, 2026 at 22:03 (1 min after Collected)
Starting Five
■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 3 points 2 rebounds 4 assists 2 steals
#1 Koh Flippin 9 points 3 assists 4 rebounds
#6 Takuto Nakamura 14 points 3 assists 4 rebounds
#8 Kelly Blackshear Jr. 22 points 3P(2/3) 11 rebounds 3 assists
#9 Naoto Tsuji 20 points 3P(5/14) 3 rebounds 2 steals
#15 A.J. Edu 5 points 9 rebounds 2 assists
#16 Kenny Asano 2 rebounds
#29 Kazuki Hosokawa 8 points 3P(2/8) 3 rebounds 2 assists
#55 Daichi Taniguchi 6 points 3P(2/3)
Head Coach Kyle Milling
“Today’s game, in the sense that we were able to win in front of our home fans in such a dramatic way at the very end, I think truly symbolizes this season. The game proceeded under difficult circumstances, with both our team and the opponent having two foreign players unavailable, but in the end, Nakamura-san made the winning shot, and we were able to win by dominating overtime. This result directly reflects how we have fought this season. And I am truly proud that all players, staff, and club members have continued to work hard throughout this long season and have achieved this much.”
(You were caught up in the 4th quarter and went into overtime; what instructions did you give?)
“I told them, ‘Let’s just keep playing our game.’ We struggled with lineup adjustments both offensively and defensively, but in basketball, there are always times when the momentum goes to the opponent and times when it comes to us. So, I instructed them not to stop moving, no matter the situation, and to just keep fighting.”
(What points make you confident heading into the Championship (CS)?)
“I consider the CS to be a completely new season, different from the regular season. The most important thing there is for the entire team to be healthy. If everyone can play in perfect condition, I truly believe anything can happen. First, I have high hopes for that, and we will proceed with solid preparations.”
(Last season, you lost two consecutive games to San-en in the CS; how do you want to utilize that experience?)
“Last year’s San-en team had the frustrating experience of losing in the first round of the CS the year before, so they played very physically and aggressively from the start of the game. We, at that time, lacked a bit of that experience and were somewhat overwhelmed by their momentum. This year, we’ve switched positions, and it’s our turn to use last year's frustrating experience as fuel. This time, we want to aggressively seize the initiative from the start of the game and fight.”
(With 42 wins this season, which is the highest winning percentage since promotion to B1 and the most wins for the club, how do you feel about that?)
“Just as today’s game showed, the attitude of never giving up until the very end and clinching the win truly symbolizes how we have fought this season. This season, we were truly troubled by many injuries and were forced to play with different lineups many times. However, the players trusted each other, and they fought through, believing in the team and the staff. I am convinced that the experience of repeatedly adjusting under such difficult circumstances created the players' high adaptability, leading to this result of 42 wins.”
Player Naoto Tsuji
“I’m really tired, and I’m glad we won. Although it was a different lineup for both teams, we all said that we should fight hard today for the championship during these two days. I think the result of being able to fight without losing that feeling led to this outcome, so I think we can enter the CS in really good shape.”
(You mentioned that leading with consecutive 3-pointers in the 3rd quarter was significant; how would you evaluate your own play?)
“I shot 14 three-pointers. I feel like I shot that many. I even think, ‘Did I shoot as if possessed?’ But I was shooting well. Of course, the shots from the corner were good, and there were two or three other regrettable shots, so I thought, ‘I wish I could have finished those a little better.’ Also...
■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 3 points 2 rebounds 4 assists 2 steals
#1 Koh Flippin 9 points 3 assists 4 rebounds
#6 Takuto Nakamura 14 points 3 assists 4 rebounds
#8 Kelly Blackshear Jr. 22 points 3P(2/3) 11 rebounds 3 assists
#9 Naoto Tsuji 20 points 3P(5/14) 3 rebounds 2 steals
#15 A.J. Edu 5 points 9 rebounds 2 assists
#16 Kenny Asano 2 rebounds
#29 Kazuki Hosokawa 8 points 3P(2/8) 3 rebounds 2 assists
#55 Daichi Taniguchi 6 points 3P(2/3)
Head Coach Kyle Milling
“Today’s game, in the sense that we were able to win in front of our home fans in such a dramatic way at the very end, I think truly symbolizes this season. The game proceeded under difficult circumstances, with both our team and the opponent having two foreign players unavailable, but in the end, Nakamura-san made the winning shot, and we were able to win by dominating overtime. This result directly reflects how we have fought this season. And I am truly proud that all players, staff, and club members have continued to work hard throughout this long season and have achieved this much.”
(You were caught up in the 4th quarter and went into overtime; what instructions did you give?)
“I told them, ‘Let’s just keep playing our game.’ We struggled with lineup adjustments both offensively and defensively, but in basketball, there are always times when the momentum goes to the opponent and times when it comes to us. So, I instructed them not to stop moving, no matter the situation, and to just keep fighting.”
(What points make you confident heading into the Championship (CS)?)
“I consider the CS to be a completely new season, different from the regular season. The most important thing there is for the entire team to be healthy. If everyone can play in perfect condition, I truly believe anything can happen. First, I have high hopes for that, and we will proceed with solid preparations.”
(Last season, you lost two consecutive games to San-en in the CS; how do you want to utilize that experience?)
“Last year’s San-en team had the frustrating experience of losing in the first round of the CS the year before, so they played very physically and aggressively from the start of the game. We, at that time, lacked a bit of that experience and were somewhat overwhelmed by their momentum. This year, we’ve switched positions, and it’s our turn to use last year's frustrating experience as fuel. This time, we want to aggressively seize the initiative from the start of the game and fight.”
(With 42 wins this season, which is the highest winning percentage since promotion to B1 and the most wins for the club, how do you feel about that?)
“Just as today’s game showed, the attitude of never giving up until the very end and clinching the win truly symbolizes how we have fought this season. This season, we were truly troubled by many injuries and were forced to play with different lineups many times. However, the players trusted each other, and they fought through, believing in the team and the staff. I am convinced that the experience of repeatedly adjusting under such difficult circumstances created the players' high adaptability, leading to this result of 42 wins.”
Player Naoto Tsuji
“I’m really tired, and I’m glad we won. Although it was a different lineup for both teams, we all said that we should fight hard today for the championship during these two days. I think the result of being able to fight without losing that feeling led to this outcome, so I think we can enter the CS in really good shape.”
(You mentioned that leading with consecutive 3-pointers in the 3rd quarter was significant; how would you evaluate your own play?)
“I shot 14 three-pointers. I feel like I shot that many. I even think, ‘Did I shoot as if possessed?’ But I was shooting well. Of course, the shots from the corner were good, and there were two or three other regrettable shots, so I thought, ‘I wish I could have finished those a little better.’ Also...