SCHEDULE
Wednesday, October 26, 2022
19:05 TIP OFF
Kyoto City Gymnasium
Kyoto Hannaryz defeated Niigata Albirex BB again at home in the previous game. They extended their winning streak to "3" and returned to a 4-4 record.
In the two games against Niigata, Kyoto won 95-77 in Game 1 and 88-64 in Game 2, outrebounding Niigata Albirex BB in both games and limiting turnovers to a respectable 23 in total. They also recorded 27 assists in the first game and 25 assists in the second game, which is proof of their ability to score points through teamwork. The team will be looking to maintain their winning streak by demonstrating their high level of teamwork again this week.
Kyoto will play at the Kyoto City Gymnasium for the second straight match. They will be facing the Nagoya Diamond Dolphins, who are currently ahead of them in the standings with a 6-2 record.
Nagoya D also won back-to-back games at home in the previous round, beating Levanga Hokkaido in back-to-back 100-point games. In these two games, Coty Clarke went on a rampage, scoring a total of 63 points and Nagoya dished out 65 assists, more than Kyoto in the previous game. Kyoto's offense, which currently leads the league in scoring and assists, was on full display.
Kyoto has won only one of eight matches against Nagoya D since the 2020-21 season, and last season they suffered four straight defeats. A performance similar to the one against Niigata will be required to defeat this difficult opponent.
One player to watch out for is Yoshiaki Kubota. He currently leads the team with an average of 11.8 points and 7.0 assists, while Nagoya D has Takumi Saito, who averages 11.6 points and 8.1 assists. Both players are in the position of commanders of the team. Saito may have more experience, but Kubota will want to go toe-to-toe with Saito and play a key role in the victory.
