Davante Gardner: Team Chemistry Fuels Seahorse Mikawa Success | BASKET COUNT

Japan advances to the final for the first time in 11 years

At the 101st Emperor’s Cup All-Japan Basketball Championship, Seahorse Mikawa easily defeated Utsunomiya Brex 71-53 in the semifinals. They defeated their natural enemy, who had not won since February 2021, and advanced to the finals for the first time since 2018, putting them on the cusp of winning their first title since the birth of the B League.

After an even start, Mikawa completely disrupted Utsunomiya’s rhythm with their strong defense in the second quarter, gaining a huge lead of 17-8 and taking control. In the third quarter, they allowed Utsunomiya to counterattack due to a series of easy turnovers, but in the fourth quarter they regained their momentum with solid defense and conceded just five points. Gradually they let go, and with 1 minute 24 seconds left, Davante Gardner sank a basket count that would have been a no-go. After sinking this shot, Gardner let out a roar. “I knew that if I made that shot, it would be game over for my opponent. That’s why I was so excited,” he said.

At the end of the third quarter, Mikawa was chased by Utsunomiya, and the lead was reduced to just 5 points. The match was completely Utsunomiya’s style, and it would not be surprising if Mikawa was left with an unpleasant atmosphere, wondering, “Can’t we win this time too?” However, Gardner remained calm, saying, “We were confident that we could win (even if the point difference was narrowed).” Looking back, it was expected that they would catch up in the second half. “We played great in the first half, but we knew Utsunomiya was going to come back in the third quarter. So at halftime, I told everyone, ‘Let’s stay focused and play hard.’ Then in the fourth quarter we got our groove back and got the win.”

Gardner began his career in Japan by joining Nishinomiya Stokes (currently Kobe Stokes) in the 2015-16 season, and joined Mikawa from the 2019-20 season after playing at Niigata Albirex BB. This season marks his 11th year in Japan, and he continues to be one of the league’s leading scorers, leveraging his powerful attacks and delicate shooting touch that make use of his size of over 130kg. On the other hand, the team has had a series of seasons without a title, but this time they are finally within reach of the Emperor’s Cup title.

“If we can play defense like we did today, we will be unstoppable.”

“We’ve been working hard to win the title. We’re excited to be in the finals,” said Gardner, who has put his hopes on the long-awaited title and shows great confidence in Mikawa. “Veterans Ishii (Kosuke) and Suda (Yutaro) always tell us, “Let’s play with confidence.” And it all starts with defense. If we can defend like we did today and against Ryukyu (in the best eight), we can become an unstoppable team.”

They also say that the rules, which are different from the B League, such as having one foreign national on the court, are advantageous for them. “I’ve been on the court for the first few years in the B.League, so I’m used to it. And with this rule, we can create an advantage with both Japanese players and foreign players. I trust my teammates. I love everyone like family.”

Now on the court, Gardner’s playing time has decreased from the league game to around 20 minutes. However, without his decisive ability to score in critical situations like this, Mikawa would not be able to win in the final. They faced their final opponent, Alvark Tokyo, on December 27th and 28th, and suffered consecutive defeats at home. However, Mikawa’s performance at that time and now shows that they are a completely different team, so the results will probably not be the same.