2024-25 short review : Utsunomiya Brex
They were the first team to win the third B1 championship.
Despite having the best record in the league, the Utsunomiya Brex faced the Chiba Jets in the semifinals again. They won the series in three games and advanced to the finals, despite the humiliation of losing in the quarterfinals. The team faced adversity with the death of coach Kevin Brasnwell, but under acting head coach Zico Colonel, the team became more united. In the final against the Ryukyu Golden Kings, the team made a last-minute comeback from a 12-point deficit in Game 3 to win their third B1 title. Then, Utsunomiya also won the FIBA Asia Champions League.
1. Became a dangerous 3-point shooting team.
Utsunomiya averaged 84.6 points per game. It's the highest since the B.LEAGUE started in the 2016-17 season. The Brex has been one of the top 3-point shooting teams since last season, but they became more dangerous under coach Kevin Braswell and Zico Colonel. Utsunomiya led the B1 to make 12.2 triples this season. They had 11 games to hit at least 15 triples, including 21 against the Saga Ballooners on January 4. Hiejima led the league two seasons in a row with 44.3%. Newbill made a lot of clutch triples, and a game winner in Game 3 of the finals against the Ryukyu Golden Kings was the biggest shot of the season.
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