Gunma Crane Thunders: Game Result - May 9 (Sat) vs Chiba Jets, Resona Group B.LEAGUE QUARTERFINALS 2025-26
Gunma Crane Thunders defeated Chiba Jets in the Resona Group B.LEAGUE QUARTERFINALS 2025-26 on May 9, marking the club's first-ever Championship victory and putting them one step closer to the semifinals.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 10, 2026 at 03:33
- 🔍 Collected: May 9, 2026 at 19:01
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 9, 2026 at 19:10 (9 min after Collected)
Starting 5
■ Gunma Crane Thunders
#4 Trey Jones
#6 Takuto Nakamura
#8 Kelly Blackshear Jr.
#15 AJ Edu
#29 Kazuki Hosokawa
■ Chiba Jets
#4 Naoki Tashiro
#10 DJ Hogg
#12 Ren Kinchika
#15 Garrison Brooks
#31 Shuta Hara
Key Stats
#0 Yuma Fujii 10 points 3 rebounds 5 assists 3 steals
#1 Koh Flippin 6 points 2 assists 2 rebounds 2 steals
#4 Trey Jones 11 points 3P(3/7) 5 rebounds 2 assists
#6 Takuto Nakamura 10 points 3 rebounds 5 assists
#8 Kelly Blackshear Jr. 24 points 16 rebounds 8 assists
#9 Naoto Tsuji 9 points 3P(3/6) 3 rebounds
#15 AJ Edu 4 points 3 rebounds 2 assists
#16 Kenny Asano 8 points 3P(2/4)
#29 Kazuki Hosokawa 2 points
#55 Daichi Taniguchi 3 points 3P(1/1)
Head Coach Kyle Milling
"We prepared for the game against Chiba, always expecting a very tough battle. In fact, this week we had many injured players and couldn't practice much, but I am truly proud of the players' excellent mental focus and execution. Chiba is a very strong team, and I believe they will come back for revenge from the start tomorrow, so we will prepare well to have a good start again tomorrow."
(The club achieved its first-ever victory in the CS, and with today's win, they are one step away from advancing to the semifinals. How do you feel about the significance of this victory again?)
"Indeed, it's a new chapter for the club, so to speak; winning a championship (CS) game is wonderful. However, every team wants to advance further, and Chiba will definitely react, so we will prepare well again tomorrow and aim to win both games."
(In the second quarter, Asano played a very big role, scoring 5 points and putting his body on the line defensively. How do you evaluate his performance?)
"When Asano first came in as a substitute, he wasn't doing so well, but the next time he came in, as you said, he performed wonderfully.
With AJ (Edu) and JT (Teaman) unable to play, he did a great job, and he has grown tremendously towards the latter half of the season, and I believe he is still growing. He played well in his first CS appearance."
(Jones returned today. How did you prepare for this game?)
"Jones created excellent moments for us. He was actually injured and hadn't been able to practice for about three weeks, and he hadn't had any contact practice at all. In that situation, with the CS being his first game back, I think he performed wonderfully.
He is an excellent athlete, so he adapted well to the adjustments. I hope he recovers a bit more tomorrow and plays even better."
Player Naoto Tsuji
(The game management in the second quarter was superb.)
"At that time, our defense really functioned well, we were able to stop offensive rebounds, and our offense was also well-coordinated because our defense was working effectively, so we were able to carry that momentum into our offense. Even though we had small lineups with the players who were on the court, we were still able to execute the 'positionless' basketball that we've been playing all season. As a result, the start was a bit of a seesaw game, but for the rest of the second, third, and fourth quarters, I think we really played our own basketball."
(Opponent's big men were in foul trouble. Was there a team understanding to exploit that situation?)
"Because they accumulated fouls, we gained an advantage, so we were able to skillfully use that to attack their weak points with our strengths."
(The head coach said, 'We prepared even though we didn't have much practice time this week.' Is it because you've been doing it all season that you were able to do it against Chiba?)
"Exactly. This season, we suffered a lot from injuries, but our foreign players came and embodied our basketball again. Even with one player missing, we were able to perform as a cohesive unit."
■ Gunma Crane Thunders
#4 Trey Jones
#6 Takuto Nakamura
#8 Kelly Blackshear Jr.
#15 AJ Edu
#29 Kazuki Hosokawa
■ Chiba Jets
#4 Naoki Tashiro
#10 DJ Hogg
#12 Ren Kinchika
#15 Garrison Brooks
#31 Shuta Hara
Key Stats
#0 Yuma Fujii 10 points 3 rebounds 5 assists 3 steals
#1 Koh Flippin 6 points 2 assists 2 rebounds 2 steals
#4 Trey Jones 11 points 3P(3/7) 5 rebounds 2 assists
#6 Takuto Nakamura 10 points 3 rebounds 5 assists
#8 Kelly Blackshear Jr. 24 points 16 rebounds 8 assists
#9 Naoto Tsuji 9 points 3P(3/6) 3 rebounds
#15 AJ Edu 4 points 3 rebounds 2 assists
#16 Kenny Asano 8 points 3P(2/4)
#29 Kazuki Hosokawa 2 points
#55 Daichi Taniguchi 3 points 3P(1/1)
Head Coach Kyle Milling
"We prepared for the game against Chiba, always expecting a very tough battle. In fact, this week we had many injured players and couldn't practice much, but I am truly proud of the players' excellent mental focus and execution. Chiba is a very strong team, and I believe they will come back for revenge from the start tomorrow, so we will prepare well to have a good start again tomorrow."
(The club achieved its first-ever victory in the CS, and with today's win, they are one step away from advancing to the semifinals. How do you feel about the significance of this victory again?)
"Indeed, it's a new chapter for the club, so to speak; winning a championship (CS) game is wonderful. However, every team wants to advance further, and Chiba will definitely react, so we will prepare well again tomorrow and aim to win both games."
(In the second quarter, Asano played a very big role, scoring 5 points and putting his body on the line defensively. How do you evaluate his performance?)
"When Asano first came in as a substitute, he wasn't doing so well, but the next time he came in, as you said, he performed wonderfully.
With AJ (Edu) and JT (Teaman) unable to play, he did a great job, and he has grown tremendously towards the latter half of the season, and I believe he is still growing. He played well in his first CS appearance."
(Jones returned today. How did you prepare for this game?)
"Jones created excellent moments for us. He was actually injured and hadn't been able to practice for about three weeks, and he hadn't had any contact practice at all. In that situation, with the CS being his first game back, I think he performed wonderfully.
He is an excellent athlete, so he adapted well to the adjustments. I hope he recovers a bit more tomorrow and plays even better."
Player Naoto Tsuji
(The game management in the second quarter was superb.)
"At that time, our defense really functioned well, we were able to stop offensive rebounds, and our offense was also well-coordinated because our defense was working effectively, so we were able to carry that momentum into our offense. Even though we had small lineups with the players who were on the court, we were still able to execute the 'positionless' basketball that we've been playing all season. As a result, the start was a bit of a seesaw game, but for the rest of the second, third, and fourth quarters, I think we really played our own basketball."
(Opponent's big men were in foul trouble. Was there a team understanding to exploit that situation?)
"Because they accumulated fouls, we gained an advantage, so we were able to skillfully use that to attack their weak points with our strengths."
(The head coach said, 'We prepared even though we didn't have much practice time this week.' Is it because you've been doing it all season that you were able to do it against Chiba?)
"Exactly. This season, we suffered a lot from injuries, but our foreign players came and embodied our basketball again. Even with one player missing, we were able to perform as a cohesive unit."