GILAS Pilipinas teammates Quentin Millora-Brown and AJ Edu find themselves on opposite ends of the court in the Japan B.League playoffs when Chiba Jets and Gunma Crane Thunders face off in the first round.
But brotherhood is the least of their concerns, as they chase glory in the Land of the Rising Sun.
"I thought we've done really well in trying to build something great. I think that everyone wants to win and we're all just doing whatever it takes to find ways to win," said Millora-Brown, whose Jets clinched the four seed with their 42-18 record.
Edu, whose Crane Thunders ended up fifth with an identical 42-18 card, said, "The outcome can sometimes be out of your control, but I want to make sure that every time I'm on the court, I give my 100-percent. And goal is obviously to win the playoff, to win the championship."
Up-and-down they go
It hasn't been the smoothest of rides for the last Filipinos standing in the tournament.
Edu suited up for 57 games this year, but had a roller-coaster campaign where he only averaged 6.9 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.1 blocks, as he was deployed more as a designated stopper by Gunma.
He wouldn't deny the struggles, mentioning, "It's been a good regular season, full of ups and downs."
What Edu is happy about, though, is how his team finished the eliminations, with the Crane Thunders winning 17 of their last 20 games.
"We did well to be together as a team and come back and finish the season really strong. So overall, I'm really proud of the team and just proud of our effort and our fight," he said.
QMB, for his part, had a shaky first season in Japan, as he only logged 4.5 points, 3.4 boards, and 1.2 dimes in 16 minutes of play.
Complicating matters was his back injury which kept him on the sidelines since March 29.
But Millora-Brown is just glad to be part of the Jets squad determined to ascend to the throne for the first time since 2021.
"Despite coming in late to the team, they really welcomed me in with open arms and I have a lot of great memories from this season that I'll look back on fondly," he said of Chiba, which finished the elims at second-place in the Eastern Conference.
"We're just focusing in on all the little details we need to in order to perform to our best."
Game One of the duel will be on Saturday at LaLa Arena Tokyo Bay, with Game Two on Sunday and Game Three, if necessary, on Monday.
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