Bambitious Nara vs Fukushima Firebonds, Japan B2 League, Today Match Prediction

Teams Preview

Bambitious Nara Preview

Bambitious Nara head into the contest with a 84-96 loss to Fukushima. The hosts dropped their fourth straight game in the regular season. Nara now fell to 14-34 in the Western Conference. Since their season-best four-game winning streak, Nara have dropped 14 out of 16 games. The hosts managed just nine points in the third quarter and it proved decisive. They will stay home for the finale of a two-game set against Fukushima. Nara already dropped all three games in the current season against their Eastern counterpart. 

Nara went 10-16 at home this season. They have a poor record against the Eastern Conference sides and we have seen this in the past two weeks. The hosts allowed 81.8 points per game in the regular season and averaged 72.6 points. Nara are forcing 12.9 turnovers per game on average. They rank seventh in field goals (44.0%) and fifth in three-point shooting (33.0%). Nara needs a special performance to win this game. They have next assignment against Kobe so the losing streak will not be snapped easily. 

Only two players reached double figures for Nara in the last game. Viacheslav Petrov continued his top form with a consecutive double-double. He dropped 18 points and 15 rebounds. Takuya Soma went for 11 points. Honda and Komaki also dropped nine points each. If we look for an offensive threat, we would pick Petrov. He averaged 16 points in the last five games. We back him to score 15 or more points in the upcoming fixture.

Fukushima Firebonds Preview

Fukushima enter the matchup with a consecutive victory in the regular season. They recently surprised the conference leaders, Shinshu and then defeated Nara 96-84. It was their third successive victory against Nara in the ongoing season. With this win, they improved to a 36-14 record. The visitors outscored the opposition 27-9 in the third quarter and clinched the game. The Fire Bonds are now sitting at the second spot of the Eastern Conference. 

Fukushima are only the third team to cross 35 wins in the ongoing season. With a 3-0 run, the Fire Bonds would eye a sweep over Nara. The visitors were shooting 48% from the floor and 27% from the three-point line. They rank third in the scoring average (85.9) and second in assists per (22.5). Fukushima are third in three-points made per game (9.6) and second in rebounds per game (43.1). The Fire Bonds are averaging 8.4 steals per game and 2.3 blocks per game. They allowed 28.8% in three-point shooting, best among all teams. 

Four players reached double figures for Fukushima in the last game. Jack Nunge led the offense with 27 points and 15 rebounds. Nakano went for 18 points, while Kenny Manigault dropped 14 points and 7 rebounds. Patrick Gardner also contributed 11 points and 7 rebounds. Jack Nunge could be an offensive threat in this fixture. The American center has crossed the 20-point mark 22 times in the current season and averaged 17.4 points. We back him to score 15 or more points in the upcoming game.

Bambitious Nara vs Fukushima Firebonds Starting Lineups