Paras ends personal slump but Niigata continues losing streak

MANILA, Philippines – Kobe Paras recovered from back-to-back scoreless games but the Niigata Albirex BB couldn't get back to the win column, falling to the Levanga Hokkaido, 85-107, in the Japan B. League at the Hokkai Kita-yale on Wednesday.

Paras quickly zoomed to a twin-digit scoring night with 10 points in just the opening quarter.

Things began optimistically for him and Niigata, as Paras went 4-of-6 from the field and Albirex BB was within six points at the end of the first, 21-27.

But his momentum came screeching to a halt due to foul trouble in the second salvo, which forced Paras to ride the bench.

The game then turned for the worse for the hapless Niigata as Hokkaido went on a 25-6 scoring run.

By the end of the third quarter, Hokkaido was up by 21, 87-56.

The lead proved insurmountable as Niigata stumbled to their 26th straight loss.

Paras finished with 14 points on a 3-of-3 clip from beyond the arc.

Shawn Long and De'mon Brooks paced Hokkaido with a combined 55 points in the blowout victory.

Elsewhere, Bobby Ray Parks and the Nagoya Diamond Dolphins extended their win streak to three games after beating Alvark Tokyo, 86-80.

Parks finished with 10 points, four rebounds, one assist and one steal.

A second quarter where the Diamond Dolphins outscored Tokyo, 26-18, helped them pull away for the win.

Meanwhile, Matthew Aquino and Javi Gomez de Liano sat out their respective team's games.

Aquino's Shinshu Brave Warriors lost to the Ryukyu Golden Kings, 85-86.

Gomez de Liano's Ibaraki Robots, for their part, took a 91-84 victory over the Gunma Crane Thunders.