Parks, Nagoya end year on high note, rout Osaka for 8th straight win

MANILA, Philippines – The Nagoya Diamond Dolphins ended the year with a big splash in the Japan B. League as they blew out the Osaka Evessa on the road, 108-84, for their eighth straight win on Wednesday, December 29.

Ray Parks continued to make the most of his seamless fit with his squad, and dropped 12 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 steals in just 24 minutes on the floor. With the win, the Dolphins are now 17-7 for the season, and in second place in the West District.

It was a nip-and-tuck game for the entire first half, as Osaka tied the game up 46-all with a late surge. However, Nagoya shifted to a higher gear in the third quarter, and left the Evessa in the dust with a 29-9 run for the sudden 20-point lead, 75-55, with 2:05 left.

The game then went straight to garbage time in the final frame, as import Coty Clarke peaked the lead as high as 27, 108-81, with a personal 7-0 run in the waning minutes of regulation.

Clarke led seven Nagoya players in double-digit scoring with 23 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 blocks, while local guard Takumi Saito made the most of his 21-minute run with an 18-marker, 5-board, 5-dime line.

Osaka import DJ Newbill led all scorers with 26 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists, while locals Ira Brown, and Makoto Kinoshita added 15 markers apiece.

Parks and Nagoya can start the new year on a high note with a win against the Shimane Susanoo Magic on Sunday, January 2, 12:35 pm, Manila time.

The Scores

Nagoya 108 – Clarke 23, Saito 18, Eatherton 13, Ito 13, Parks 12, Harimoto 11, Nakahigashi 10, Whittington 6, Karino 2, Kobayashi 0, Kikuchi 0, Nakatsuka 0.

Osaka 84 – Newbill 26, Brown 15, Kinoshita 15, Nakamura 7, Takeuchi 6, Donley 5, Doblas 5, Takashima 3, Aoki 2, Goda 0.

Quarters: 26-19, 46-46, 82-61, 108-84.

– Rappler.com