[Gunma Crane Thunders: Game Result] May 10th (Sunday) vs Chiba Jets Resona Group B.LEAGUE QUARTERFINALS 2025-26
On May 10th, the Gunma Crane Thunders faced the Chiba Jets in the B.LEAGUE QUARTERFINALS 2025-26. Despite a strong effort against an aggressive Chiba, Gunma narrowly lost, making the series 1-1 and setting up a decisive final game.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 11, 2026 at 02:43
- 🔍 Collected: May 10, 2026 at 18:02
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 10, 2026 at 18:07 (5 min after Collected)
Starting 5
■ Gunma Crane Thunders
#0 Yuma Fujii
#1 Koh Flippin
#4 Trey Jones
#6 Takuto Nakamura
#8 Kerry Blackshear Jr.
■ Chiba Jets
#1 Yuta Watanabe
#4 Naoki Tashiro
#10 D.J. Hogg
#15 Garrison Brooks
#31 Shuta Hara
Key Stats
#0 Yuma Fujii: 3 points, 3 assists
#1 Koh Flippin: 8 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists
#4 Trey Jones: 9 points, 3P (3/6), 5 rebounds, 2 assists
#6 Takuto Nakamura: 14 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists
#8 Kerry Blackshear Jr.: 21 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals
#9 Naoto Tsuji: 6 points, 3P (2/9)
#16 Kenny Asano: 3 points
#29 Kazuki Hosokawa: 15 points, 3P (5/9), 2 rebounds
Head Coach Kyle Milling
“We knew Chiba would come out very aggressively at the start of the game. Our main goal was to see how well we could keep up with them and prevent them from going on big runs. Our players did get beaten in some parts, but I think we managed to keep up well in the first half. In the second half, our players executed well and made some good shots to take the lead, but in the final moments, Chiba made some incredible, tough shots, and conversely, we couldn't finish, which I believe led to this result.”
“(Regarding the 4th quarter, where it could have gone either way, especially with the small lineup, how do you feel about it?) It’s really tough to play without some of our big men, but I'm truly proud of our players. Playing small ball, in different roles and positions than usual, and being able to create a chance to win until the very end against Chiba, one of the best teams in the league, really shows how well our players performed.”
“(With the series now 1-1, and tomorrow being a very difficult situation, what are your thoughts heading into tomorrow?) With the series at 1-1, we will do our absolute best to win tomorrow. I truly believe in this team's staff and players, so we will do everything we can to go for the win.”
“(Is there anything you evaluate positively despite falling short by a step?) Especially on defense, I think the players did very well. We tried things we don't usually do, but the main goal was to stop Chiba's excellent transition offense. I think we were able to keep them in the half-court, and we held Chiba to around 80 points, so our defense was good in that regard. Although we managed to keep them in the half-court, in the end, Chiba's talent allowed them to score one-on-one.”
“(Game 3 will decide who advances. What are the key points?) First, tomorrow will also be a very tough game, so getting our players to recover and be fresh is our top priority. Also, as I mentioned, Chiba is a team with excellent transition offense, so we want to control them, especially in the first quarter, to prevent them from running.”
Player Kazuki Hosokawa
“(1st Quarter: The tempo wasn't typical Gunma style but rather the opponent's. What do you think was the cause?) Before the game, we were told that 'Chiba, after losing Game 1, will start the 1st quarter aggressively, pulling away and getting into a rhythm,' and we allowed that to happen, which was the cause. We ended with poor offense, and then they ran on us in transition, which I feel led to our shaky start.”
“(After the 1st quarter, despite AJ's absence, did you feel you had a good handle on the game and tempo from the 2nd quarter onwards?) In the first half, there was a flow where immediately after we scored, they would make a 3-pointer back, so we couldn't quite get into a rhythm. However, I feel we played with high defensive intensity. Yesterday, even without AJ, we played well in the second half, so everyone was confident going into this. In that context, Koh, among others, played at the 4 position, and I think it worked well.”
■ Gunma Crane Thunders
#0 Yuma Fujii
#1 Koh Flippin
#4 Trey Jones
#6 Takuto Nakamura
#8 Kerry Blackshear Jr.
■ Chiba Jets
#1 Yuta Watanabe
#4 Naoki Tashiro
#10 D.J. Hogg
#15 Garrison Brooks
#31 Shuta Hara
Key Stats
#0 Yuma Fujii: 3 points, 3 assists
#1 Koh Flippin: 8 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists
#4 Trey Jones: 9 points, 3P (3/6), 5 rebounds, 2 assists
#6 Takuto Nakamura: 14 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists
#8 Kerry Blackshear Jr.: 21 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals
#9 Naoto Tsuji: 6 points, 3P (2/9)
#16 Kenny Asano: 3 points
#29 Kazuki Hosokawa: 15 points, 3P (5/9), 2 rebounds
Head Coach Kyle Milling
“We knew Chiba would come out very aggressively at the start of the game. Our main goal was to see how well we could keep up with them and prevent them from going on big runs. Our players did get beaten in some parts, but I think we managed to keep up well in the first half. In the second half, our players executed well and made some good shots to take the lead, but in the final moments, Chiba made some incredible, tough shots, and conversely, we couldn't finish, which I believe led to this result.”
“(Regarding the 4th quarter, where it could have gone either way, especially with the small lineup, how do you feel about it?) It’s really tough to play without some of our big men, but I'm truly proud of our players. Playing small ball, in different roles and positions than usual, and being able to create a chance to win until the very end against Chiba, one of the best teams in the league, really shows how well our players performed.”
“(With the series now 1-1, and tomorrow being a very difficult situation, what are your thoughts heading into tomorrow?) With the series at 1-1, we will do our absolute best to win tomorrow. I truly believe in this team's staff and players, so we will do everything we can to go for the win.”
“(Is there anything you evaluate positively despite falling short by a step?) Especially on defense, I think the players did very well. We tried things we don't usually do, but the main goal was to stop Chiba's excellent transition offense. I think we were able to keep them in the half-court, and we held Chiba to around 80 points, so our defense was good in that regard. Although we managed to keep them in the half-court, in the end, Chiba's talent allowed them to score one-on-one.”
“(Game 3 will decide who advances. What are the key points?) First, tomorrow will also be a very tough game, so getting our players to recover and be fresh is our top priority. Also, as I mentioned, Chiba is a team with excellent transition offense, so we want to control them, especially in the first quarter, to prevent them from running.”
Player Kazuki Hosokawa
“(1st Quarter: The tempo wasn't typical Gunma style but rather the opponent's. What do you think was the cause?) Before the game, we were told that 'Chiba, after losing Game 1, will start the 1st quarter aggressively, pulling away and getting into a rhythm,' and we allowed that to happen, which was the cause. We ended with poor offense, and then they ran on us in transition, which I feel led to our shaky start.”
“(After the 1st quarter, despite AJ's absence, did you feel you had a good handle on the game and tempo from the 2nd quarter onwards?) In the first half, there was a flow where immediately after we scored, they would make a 3-pointer back, so we couldn't quite get into a rhythm. However, I feel we played with high defensive intensity. Yesterday, even without AJ, we played well in the second half, so everyone was confident going into this. In that context, Koh, among others, played at the 4 position, and I think it worked well.”