Chiba is the first two-time champion in East Asia Super League history, largely thanks to the brilliance of mega star Yuki Togashi.
LAPU-LAPU CITY — Cream always rises to the top.
In a masterful fourth-quarter showing, spitfire guard Yuki Togashi led his Chiba Jets to a historic East Asia Super League championship, beating the Seoul SK Knights in a 72-69 thriller Sunday at the Hoops Dome here.
Togashi poured 12 points in the fourth, restoring order for Chiba after the SK Knights seized control with a strong third quarter.
With Chiba holding on to a precarious one-point lead, Yuki calmly sank two free throws with 14 seconds left to seal the final tally. As he took the second shot, the Hoops Dome crowd showered him with well-deserved MVP chants.
For his strong performance through the season, but especially in the Final Four weekend, Togashi was naturally named MVP.
After a two-minute stalemate to open the fourth, Togashi hit a booming three for a 54-all tie.
As both teams traded baskets later, a strong Yuki drive led to a layup that put the Jets up three, 60-57, with six minutes to go.
Not to be outdone, Seoul turned its own star in Jameel Warney and he responded with a personal 5-0 run to put the SK Knights up two.
Yuki then hit his final clutch three to give Chiba a 63-62 advantage with 4:33 left. The Jets never trailed again.
Despite a tough shooting performance, relative to his own standards, Togashi ended up with a game-high 24 points, to go along with seven assists.
John Mooney added a strong 16 points, 16 rebounds, a six assists for the Jets, while Ira Brown chipped in 12 for Chiba, who finished the tournament with a spotless 8-0 record.
For the SK Knights, who unfortunately lost a third-straight EASL Finals, Warney led the way with 22 points, 17 rebounds, and five assists. An Youngjun contributed 18.
The Chiba victory is significant in the history of the EASL, as the Jets become the first two-time winner since the league first hosted events in 2017. Chiba won the first-ever Super 8 in Macau seven years ago, and now the Jets are also the first winner of the EASL's first true home-and-away tournament.
For the victory, the Jets team also take home a handsome $1 million cash prize, while the SK Knights will head home with $500,000.