“Resona Group B.LEAGUE 2025-26 SEASON” Round 18 of the B1 league match will be the first match in 2026. This is the second consecutive match that concludes the first half. At Ookini Arena Maishima, Osaka Evessa, 10th place in the West Region, will take on Koshigaya Alphars, 8th place in the East Region.
Osaka has 11 wins and 17 losses, with Matt Bonds leading the team in points, rebounds, and assists. However, in the 14th round, he suffered a sprained right ankle and a fractured medial malleolus spine, forcing him to be placed on the injured list. From then on, the team suffered a four-game losing streak, but in the second game of the previous round they defeated Sunrockers Shibuya on enemy territory. They held their opponents to just 51 points and won the final game of 2025.
On the other hand, Koshigaya is also without Sekou Doumbouya, who was averaging 18.9 points and 8.2 rebounds, due to injury. In the previous game, the Saitama Super Arena had a record number of visitors in the league, but they were outmatched by Utsunomiya Brex and suffered consecutive losses.
Osaka will aim for consecutive home wins by showing off their solid defense as they did in the previous match. Will Yasunori Aoki and Makoto Kinoshita be the guards, and will Vodymir Gern, who grabbed a total of 28 rebounds in the previous two games, be the driving force?
Koshigaya will be asked to make adjustments in both offense and defense from the previous match. Anthony Clemons will likely be essential on offense. Keep an eye on the heavyweight center matchup between 140kg Hamilton Gary Kodera and 138kg Joshua Smith, who joined Osaka, below the finish line.
The key point for A Chiba will be how to contain Shimane’s ace Yudai Okada[Photo]= B.LEAGUE
Altiri Chiba, who are on a 5-game losing streak, will clash with Shimane Susanoo Magic at their home base. This will be the stage for revenge for A Chiba, who lost two consecutive away games in Round 7. First of all, I’m looking forward to Evans Luke, who will be playing against his old team. The key for the team is not only to stop Yuuhiro Okada, who controls the opponent’s attack, but also to gain an advantage in the rebound battle. It will be interesting to see if young big man Ryone Watanabe can pick up rebounds that will save the team.
Harper Jr. is a senior at Fukuoka Daiichi High School and is facing a matchup with Namizato, who he played with at Ryukyu[Photo]= B.LEAGUE
Sunrockers Shibuya will play their second consecutive home match following the previous match. In Game 2 of the previous game, where they lost with 51 points, their field goal success rate was sluggish at 35.2%. In this round, the condition for victory is to steadily accumulate scores within the paint area. I hope that Andrew Randall and Jordan Dallas, who have just joined the team, will show their presence and defeat the Fighting Eagles Nagoya. The matchup between Jean Lawrence Harper Jr. and Sei Namizato, who have played on the same team, will also be a highlight.
Two consecutive games will be held at Shiga Daihatsu Arena between Shiga Lakes and Ibaraki Robots. Home team Shiga will be aiming to escape from their three-game losing streak. In the last match, they lost two games in a row by single-digit points, so they want to show their strength in the final stages. On the offensive side, in addition to Thomas Wimbush, expectations are also placed on Taiki Okada. The No. 6 player, who has great shooting ability, scored a season-high 21 points in the 14th round when he was selected as the starter. Will he be able to make a comeback after struggling with shooting accuracy in the previous game and be the driving force behind victory?
Text = Katsutoshi Onuma
Composition = Basketball King
The Basketball King editorial department has selected individual records that are expected to be achieved in Round 18 of the B1 league match. This season, Alex Kirk (Ryukyu Golden Kings) is just two away from becoming the first player in B1 history to achieve 500 dunks, and is also one step away from reaching 500 assists, the first player in B1 history to do so. Additionally, Kevin Haruyama (Hiroshima Dragonflies) and Gohei Sekino (Levanga Hokkaido), who have been active since the beginning of the B League, are only two games away from reaching their 500th appearance. Daiki Tanaka (Sunrockers Shibuya) and Kazuki Hosokawa (Gunma Crane Thunders) are close to achieving three-point shooting records.
■B1 Round 18 match schedule
・Ryukyu Golden Kings vs Seahorse Mikawa (@Okinawa Suntory Arena)
GAME1: January 3 (Saturday) 14:00~ GAME2: January 4 (Sunday) 14:00~
・Sendai 89ERS vs Utsunomiya Brex (@Xebio Arena Sendai)
GAME1: January 3 (Saturday) 14:05~ GAME2: January 4 (Sunday) 14:05~
・Chiba Jets vs Toyama Grouses (@LaLa arena TOKYO-BAY)
GAME1: January 3 (Saturday) 14:05~ GAME2: January 4 (Sunday) 14:05~
・Osaka Evessa vs Koshigaya Alphars (@Ookini Arena Maishima)
GAME1: January 3 (Saturday) 14:05~ GAME2: January 4 (Sunday) 14:05~
・Saga Ballooners vs Gunma Crane Thunders (@SAGA Arena)
GAME1: January 3 (Saturday) 14:05~ GAME2: January 4 (Sunday) 14:05~
・Altiri Chiba vs Shimane Susanoo Magic (@Chiba Port Arena)
GAME1: January 3rd (Saturday) 15:05~ GAME2: January 4th (Sunday) 15:05~
・Alvark Tokyo vs Hiroshima Dragonflies (@TOYOTA ARENA TOKYO)
GAME1: January 3rd (Saturday) 15:05~ GAME2: January 4th (Sunday) 15:05~
・Sanen Neo Phoenix vs Akita Northern Happinets (@Toyohashi City General Gymnasium)
GAME1: January 3rd (Saturday) 15:05~ GAME2: January 4th (Sunday) 15:05~
・Kyoto Hannaries vs Nagoya Diamond Dolphins (@Kyoto City Gymnasium)
GAME1: January 3 (Saturday) 15:05~ GAME2: January 4 (Sunday) 14:05~
・Nagasaki Veruca vs Yokohama B-Corsairs (@Happiness Arena)
GAME1: January 3rd (Saturday) 15:05~ GAME2: January 4th (Sunday) 15:05~
・Sunrockers Shibuya vs Fighting Eagles Nagoya (@Aoyama Gakuin Memorial Hall)
GAME1: January 3 (Saturday) 17:05~ GAME2: January 4 (Sunday) 14:05~
・Kawasaki Brave Thunders vs. Levanga Hokkaido (@Tokyu Dresse Todoroki Arena)
GAME1: January 3 (Saturday) 17:05~ GAME2: January 4 (Sunday) 15:05~
・Shiga Lakes vs. Ibaraki Robots (@Shiga Daihatsu Arena)
GAME1: January 3 (Saturday) 17:05~ GAME2: January 4 (Sunday) 14:05~
