Parks, Nagoya win fifth straight; Javi GDL's Ibaraki end slump

MANILA, Philippines — Ray Parks Jr. and the Nagoya Diamond Dolphins continue to cruise ahead of the Japan B. League playoffs after an 86-64 rout of the Shinshu Brave Warriors at the Kotobuki Arena Chikuma on Wednesday.

Against compatriot Matt Aquino and his squad, Parks' Nagoya took their fifth straight win and improved to 28-13 for the year.

The victory came despite an inefficient offensive night from Parks in scoring.

The Filipino reinforcement finished with only four points on 2-of-8 shooting. But he proved to be a pest on defense with three steals.

He also had three rebounds and two assists.

It took a third quarter where Nagoya outscored Shinshu, 24-7, to blow the game wide open.

Aquino, for his part, was scoreless in less than two minutes of play, logging only one rebound.

The Brave Warriors fell to 23-25.

Elsewhere, Javi Gomez de Liaño and the Ibaraki Robots broke a two-game slump with an 84-78 upset of the higher-ranked Akita Northern Happinets.

Ibaraki fought from a 12-point deficit to force overtime and clinch the victory with only eight players on deck.

Gomez de Liaño was limited in scoring in the victory with only three markers to go along with his three rebounds.

The Robots won their 13th game of the season.

But the good fortunes of Filipinos in the B. League ended there as most of their compatriots absorbed losses on Wednesday.

Kobe Paras and Kiefer Ravena both had to endure blowout losses as the Niigata Albirex BB and Shiga Lakestars fell to their respective opponents.

Paras' Niigata went down against the Utsunomiya Brex, 50-95, as the former UP standout also went scoreless in the game. He had two rebounds and one assist.

Kiefer and the Lakestars, meanwhile, fell to the Seahorses Mikawa, 87-103.

Kiefer had a more efficient night individually with 15 points, four rebounds and seven assists.

Still, the Lakestars remain at the bottom half of the standings with a 13-37 slate.

Niigata are dead last with only five victories in 46 games this year.

Kiefer's brother Thirdy also suffered a similar fate as his San-En NeoPhoenix fell to the Gunma Crane Thunders, 69-79.

Though the NeoPhoenix were ahead, 23-15, in the opening frame, they could not sustain the lead and played catch-up the rest of the way.

Thirdy logged 11 points, five rebounds, one assist and one steal in 21 minutes of action as a sub.

Thirdy missed a number of NeoPhoenix games recently and has thus been taken out of the starting lineup for the time being as he eases into his return.

In the other game, Dwight Ramos' Toyama Grouses were drubbed by the Shimane Susanoo Magic, 80-87.

Ramos had 12 points, three rebounds, three assists and a steal in the losing effort.

The Grouses sport a 22-31 record.