SCHEDULE
B2 ROUND 7 Game 1: November 12, 2022
ALTIRI CHIBA 71 - 53 NAGASAKI VELCA
📊 BOXSCORE
B2 ROUND 7 Game 2: November 13, 2022
ALTIRI CHIBA 104 - 84 NAGASAKI VELCA
📊 BOXSCORE
(Kobe Paras: KP) It was good. It was a fun game. NAGASAKI played a very fast pace and very physical game, so that made our team today want to do better. So I feel like we achieved what we wanted to achieve, but we still have a lot of things to work on to be better.
(KP) It feels great. Great. I don't really trash talk. It just happened earlier and in the heat of the moment, and it's part of the game, so it was very good. I feel like I can be myself in this situation. So for one, I'm an emotional person, so at least when I play basketball, I can use that as fire and motivation to do better and to help the team.
(KP) I just feel happy where I'm at right now, I'm in a situation where I'm falling in love with basketball again. I'm very comfortable with the role I have, and this is all thanks to my teammates. They help me in practice, they help me get better in practice. And I just appreciate that the coaching to the staff, to the players, they're all easy to talk to and get along with. So to be in an environment like this where I feel very happy and at peace, I feel like that's why I'm performing better. And this is just the start of the season. So hopefully I need to do a better job and continue this.
(KP) It's way better than I first got here, but as everyone can see, I'm still struggling, so I have to do a better job as a professional to be in better shape so I can help the team with whatever they need.
(KP) I just want to achieve whatever the company and whatever the team wants to achieve. And our goal and our mark right here is to make history. So hopefully being a part of this team can help in achieving history with whatever that may be.
(KP) Honestly, I don't think there's a difference at all. I mean, B1 has bigger companies that sponsor teams, but B1, B2 and may that be B3. I feel like they're all the same. They're all very competitive, and there are a lot of great locals here who work very hard and who are very talented, so I'm blessed to share the court with those locals. And I don't think there's a difference at all. I feel like it doesn't matter if it's B1, B2, B3. I feel like every team has something to prove and something to fight for.
(KP) It's still surreal for me to be playing here in Japan. I've never thought I'd be playing overseas in my life. So to have local Japanese fans, it's truly an honor. And hopefully me representing CHIBA, I may make the fans even more proud with how I play. And every game we have, whether that be a home game or an away game, the fans cheering us truly gives us motivation, especially me. So I'm just grateful and I hope I can keep making the fans proud.
(KP) Well, I like eating with everyone, so I just go to, like, the Sushi spot or Yakiniku or Ramen. So I'm happy that I'm in the city because last year I was in the province, so at least here I have a lot of choices and I get to eat out with my teammates, so that's pretty fun.
(Jordan Heading: JH) Yeah, I mean, I think it's obviously my first time playing CHIBA, and they're a really good team, and I thought we've fought relatively well. Both games. Just got a little unlucky tonight. And it's tough with us coming in with only one import, but onto the next game.
(JH) Yeah, I think my coaches have done a good job of recognizing my strengths and allowing me to play to those strengths. I, for one, definitely got to shoot better, obviously, than I did tonight, I was poor shooter tonight. I got to look to be effective in other ways. My coaching staff does give me opportunities to make plays and I'm very thankful for that.
(JH) I don't know if there's a specific reason for it then just taking what the game gives me, game by game. I credit my coaching staff as well, and my teammates. But for them designing plays and my guys hitting shots, a lot of them are just regular passes. Nothing special that I'm doing. But, you know, them hitting great shots.
(JH) I think for sure the pace is the biggest difference. I think that the Japanese style of play is so fast and with ball pressure and 94ft full court defense, that's definitely something that has been an adjustment, but it's been a fun adjustment. And I think that players just play so incredibly hard here and that's always fun to be a part of.
(JH) I think it's still early on in the season and we're still getting better and there's still a bunch of areas of improvement that we have to get better. And at the same time, we've been battling some injuries here and there. We've had a few games, we've had two of our imports out and just playing with the one import. We're just continuing to find our chemistry and continuing to try and compete in both games of the weekend and trying to get as healthy as we can to make a push for the rest of the season.
(JH) It's always super fun to be able to play another Filipino. And this was a game I was really excited for, just to be able to play him and to be able to see him and have a chat to him before the game and he's a great guy and it's always fun to see these guys and hopefully I'll be able to see the B1 guys as soon as well. But yes, it's always fun to see a familiar face and the countrymen. So yeah, it's good.
(JH) Oh yeah, everything's great in Nagasaki and it's a beautiful place with beautiful scenery on the ocean and I'm loving living there and just the coastal living is nice and it's a really slow area, so it's cool. It's nice.
