AJ Edu and the Gunma Crane Thunders dealt a crushing blow to Dwight Ramos and Levanga Hokkaido, formally ending the latter’s playoff hopes with a dominant showing in the Japan B.League on Saturday.
Edu tallied 14 points, six rebounds, and two assists as Gunma rolled to a 105-65 blowout, a result that pushed Hokkaido out of playoff contention.
Ramos, for his part, struggled to find his rhythm, finishing scoreless with four assists and two rebounds in the loss.
The victory allowed the playoff-bound Crane Thunders to tighten their grip on the No. 2 spot with a 40-17 record.
The Chiba Jets, meanwhile, stayed within striking distance after securing an 83-68 win over the Hiroshima Dragonflies despite the absence of Quentin Millora-Brown.
The Jets improved to 39-18, keeping the pressure on Gunma in the standings.
With the defeat, Hokkaido dropped to 35-22 and bowed out of the playoff picture.
In the other game, Kai Sotto turned in a strong all-around effort with 27 points, eight rebounds, and three assists to steer Koshigaya Alphas to a 90-84 victory over Kawasaki Brave Thunders.
Elsewhere, Ray Parks, Kiefer Ravena, and Francis Lopez absorbed losses in their respective outings.
Osaka Evessa absorbed a 78-68 defeat to Kyoto Hannaryz despite Parks’ 10 points and five rebounds.
Ravena finished with 10 points, four assists, and one rebound, but Yokohama B-Corsairs fell to Sendai 89ers, 100-94.
Lopez, meanwhile, had three points and four rebounds in Nagoya’s 83-73 loss to Nagasaki.
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