Sneed shines as Big Bulls run away from Broncos

TOKOROZAWA, Saitama Pref. — Center Dillion Sneed scored 20 of his game-high 24 points in the second half as the Iwate Big Bulls turned a close contest into a rout, beating the Saitama Broncos 111-94 on Saturday night at Tokorozawa Municipal Gymnasium.

Iwate (12-5) snapped a three-game slide. Saitama (2-11) lost its fourth straight, and leading scorer John Humphrey remained on the bench with a back injury.

Sneed's inside presence opened things up for Iwate on the perimeter as his teammates exploited gaps in the defense. Saitama had a poor second half on defensive rotations and reacting to what the visitors ran against them.

The Broncos yielded 65 second-half points after trailing 46-43 at halftime.

Saitama coach Tracy Williams said his team needs to be stronger mentally for the full 40 minutes.

"That's something we're still working on," Williams said.

Lawrence Blackledge had 18 points, 16 rebounds and two steals, Kenichi Takahashi poured in 17 points, Reggie Okosa scored 14, Carlos Dixon added 11 with five assists for Iwate.

Sneed was most impressive for Iwate, though, making 11 of 15 shots in 17-plus minutes.

"He was a Big Bull out there tonight," Williams said of Sneed.

Yuki Kitamuki paced Saitama with 19 points and Nyika Williams had 16 points and 15 rebounds in his Broncos debut.

Iwate was 37 of 63 from inside the arc and wore the Broncos down as the second half progressed, including a pivotal surge in the third to stretch the lead to 72-53.

Elsewhere, the Ryukyu Golden Kings beat Rizing Fukuoka 97-79, the Chiba Jets edged the Gunma Crane Thunders 78-71, the Yokohama B-Corsairs downed the Akita Northern Happinets 87-74, the Shiga Lakestars ended the Kyoto Hannaryz's eight-game win streak, 69-67, and the Toyama Grouses handed the Shinshu Brave Warriors an 85-80 setback.

Also Saturday, the Shimane Susanoo Magic beat the Osaka Evessa 86-78 and the Takamatsu Five Arrows won 81-65 over the Oita HeatDevils.

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Manning triumphs in Broncos debut

DENVER — After 611 days away, Peyton Manning couldn't wait to get back on the field. Ben Roethlisberger seemed determined to keep him on the sideline.

Old dog, new tricks: Peyton Manning sheds a tackle during the Broncos' 31-19 victory over the Steelers on Sunday night in Denver. AP

Manning overcame Pittsburgh's 10-minute advantage in time of possession and led a hurry-up offense that helped the Broncos beat the Steelers 31-19 on Sunday night in his Denver debut.

"It's just one game. I try to keep it in perspective," Manning said. "I know how hard I've worked to get to this point. I know how much help that I've gotten along the way, from a lot of people. I'm very grateful for that. It's special. I will definitely say it's special."

The four-time MVP coming off four neck surgeries that wiped out his final season in Indianapolis last year completed 19 of 26 passes for 253 yards and two touchdowns. He was sacked twice and bounced up both times without trouble.

Manning got a big assist from another big-time free agent, cornerback Tracy Porter, whose 43-yard interception return of Roethlisberger's pass with 2 minutes left and the Broncos clinging to a six-point lead sealed the victory.

"I should've called timeout," Roethlisberger said. "The play clock was running down, I hate to burn timeouts. I should've. We were kind of all over the place.

"There's no one to blame but myself. I already told my teammates and coaches that it's my fault. It's on me. It's disappointing. I hate to let my team down, my coaches, the fans. That loss is squarely on my shoulders. I'll take that and get better and learn from it."

Manning, jettisoned by the Colts in March after missing all of last season with a nerve injury that weakened his throwing arm, took just two snaps in the third quarter. But one was a 71-yard touchdown throw to Demaryius Thomas, Manning's first as a Bronco and the 400th of his career.

He reached the milestone in his 208th career game. Dan Marino did it in his 227th game and Brett Favre in his 228th.

"I love those guys," Manning said. "Brett and Dan are two of my favorite quarterbacks of all time. I don't feel like I belong in their category. But to be sort of mentioned among them is a true honor."

Manning, however, didn't even keep the ball for his trophy case.

"I talked to him after the game and said, 'You're going to let me keep the ball right?' He got one of the game balls, so he gave me that ball," Thomas said. "That's great to be able to catch his 400th. Hopefully he'll sign it for me. I can go back and show my grandkids in the record book."

Manning, who hadn't played in a game that counted since Jan. 8, 2011, spent much of his night on the sideline as Roethlisberger led a clock-chewing offense that had Denver's defenders gassed and Manning antsy as the Steelers converted 11 of 19 third downs.

"That's what Peyton kept saying to me: 'You guys killed us on third down.' We did," Roethlisberger said. "But at the end of the day it doesn't matter when you lose the game."

At one point, Roethlisberger had taken 30 snaps to Manning's one — a kneel-down — during two monstrous drives that spanned halftime.

"Roethlisberger was awesome on third down," Manning said. "Wasn't much fun sitting on the bench there all night. Great job by our defense in the end, getting that turnover."

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said playing keep-away from Manning was the game plan.

"That was our intention," Tomlin said. "We need to possess the ball, we needed to get stops and time of possession is just that, though you look at the scoreboard, they got it done, we didn't. The plan didn't come to fruition."

49ers 30, Packers 22: In Green Bay, showing the same brand of dominant defense that powered them to the NFC Championship Game last season, San Francisco smothered NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers and the Packers offense.

Redskins 40, Saints 32: In New Orleans, Robert Griffin III began his NFL career by connecting on 19 of 26 passes for 320 yards and two touchdowns.

Griffin completed his first eight passes, including an 88-yard touchdown pass to Pierre Garcon, tying for the second-longest scoring pass by a quarterback making his NFL debut.

Vikings 26, Jaguars 23 (OT): In Minneapolis, rookie Blair Walsh kicked four field goals, including a 55-yarder as regulation expired and another in overtime.

For the first time since the NFL's new overtime scoring rule was installed last season, the first team on the board didn't immediately run off the field a winner.

After Walsh's 38-yard kick, the Vikings had to play defense again while the Jaguars had their chance to match. But Gabbert was hurried into a fourth-down overthrow.

Bears 41, Colts 21: In Chicago, Jay Cutler threw for 333 yards and two touchdowns and Michael Bush added a pair of scoring runs to spoil the debut of quarterback Andrew Luck, who finished 23 of 45 for 309 yards with a TD, but also three interceptions.

Eagles 17, Browns 16: In Cleveland, Michael Vick overcame four interceptions by throwing a 4-yard touchdown pass to Clay Harbor with 1:18 left.

Lions 27, Rams 23: In Detroit, Matthew Stafford threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Smith with 10 seconds left.

Jets 48, Bills 28: In East Rutherford, New Jersey, Mark Sanchez threw three touchdown passes, including two to rookie Stephen Hill, and the Jets eased concerns about their offense.

Texans 30, Dolphins 10: In Houston, Arian Foster had two touchdown runs, Matt Schaub threw a TD pass to Andre Johnson, and the Texans defense dominated rookie Ryan Tannehill and Miami.

Patriots 34, Titans 13: In Nashville, Tennessee, Tom Brady threw for 236 yards and two touchdowns for New England.

Falcons 40, Chiefs 24: In Kansas City, Matt Ryan threw for 299 yards and three touchdowns, one of them to Tony Gonzalez in his return to Kansas City.

Buccaneers 16, Panthers 7: In Tampa, the Buccaneers' rejuvenated defense came up with two interceptions against Cam Newton.

Cardinals 20, Seahawks 16: In Glendale, Arizona, Kevin Kolb replaced injured John Skelton and led Arizona on the deciding touchdown drive, throwing 6 yards to Andre Roberts with 4:59 to play.

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Albirex finish regular season with rout of Broncos

TOKOROZAWA, Saitama Pref. — After a one-point triumph in the series opener, the Saitama Broncos reverted to form in a lopsided loss to the Niigata Albirex BB to close out their seventh consecutive non-winning season since the bj-league's inception in 2005.

It was a tight first quarter, but then momentum shifted dramatically as Niigata coach Matt Garrison's club began to dominate all facets of the contest.

Sharpshooter Shuhei Komatsu sparked the Albirex with 17 second-quarter points — his entire scoring load for the afternoon — and the visitors seized control of Sunday's game in the second half en route to a 95-54 whipping of the Broncos at Tokorozawa Municipal Gymnasium.

Niigata finished the regular season with a 28-24 record, and now prepares for its seventh straight trip the playoffs; Saitama, meanwhile, faces a likely offseason shakeup after a rocky 16-36 campaign (worst record in the 10-team Eastern Conference), including a 12-29 record under bench boss Natalie Nakase, who replaced Dean Murray in November.

"We seemed a little fatigued after yesterday's game," Nakase said.

She praised her players for their dedication and hard work throughout the season.

"I wouldn't want to go to battle with anybody but these 12 guys," the former UCLA guard said. "I'm so proud of them for their effort."

John "Helicopter" Humphrey was named Saitama's player of the year and received enthusiastic applause from the fans after the game.

"I'm honored to be selected as player of the year for the Broncos," he said after an 18-point performance.

Jayme Miller scored 14 points and grabbed six boards for Saitama, while Daiki Terashita contributed nine points. The Broncos shot 2-for-15 from 3-point range.

The Albirex, on the other hand, were 13-for-23 from beyond the arc, including Kimitake Sato's 4-for-7. Sato led Niigata with 19 points, Erron Maxey scored 15, hauled in 13 rebounds and collected four steals. Dwight Gordon and Yuichi Ikeda both had 10 points and bj-league rebounding king Chris Holm scored eight and pulled down 13 boards.

After taking a 47-32 lead into the locker room at halftime, Niigata ended any chance Saitama may have had for a big comeback, outscoring the hosts 20-8 in the third quarter.

It was 67-40 entering the final stanza.

By that point, the Albirex's inside-outside offensive attack and defensive intensity had given them an overwhelming advantage.

"You always want to end the regular season on a high note," said Maxey, a Providence product, "but the playoffs are a whole other animal."

Watching the action from the bench in the first quarter, Komatsu, who buried 7 of 10 3s against the Shiga Lakestars on April 22, put his mark on the game in a hurry in the second quarter.

Curling off screens to get open or taking straight-up jumpers, Komatsu buried 5 of 5 3s in the quarter. Blessed with a quick release and a smooth shooting stroke, Komatsu heated up in a hurry.

"That's what he does — he shoots 3s," Maxey said. "He's a great shooter, and when he knocks down two or three in a row, you know he's going to make the next three. So it's a matter of feeding him the ball if he's hot, and that's also playing simple basketball. If he's got the hot hand out there, keep going to him until he cools off."

Garrison said Komatsu's shooting display was impressive. He also credited his players for their defensive desire, which was an across-the-board performance.

Indeed, he said, the Albirex wanted to enter the postseason with a victory. Bouncing back from Saturday's defeat was the goal, and he kept the message simple beforehand.

"Defensively, it's strictly heart, intensity and urgency," Garrison said.

"We'll have to come out and fight today; that was really all we talked about," he reminded his players before the game.

Limiting Terashita's opportunities to penetrate in the lane and out-rebounding Saitama (49-38) led to fewer second-chance attempts for the Broncos were other keys to victory, said Garrison, a former Albirex player in his first season at the helm.

Big Bulls 97, Jets 82

In Morioka, Iwate Prefecture, Thomas Kennedy had 23 points, nine rebounds and five assists and Gordon Klaiber notched a double-double as the hosts finished their inaugural season with a series sweep.

Klaiber scored 20 points and hauled in 11 rebounds, while Jamal Boykin added 17 points, Shawn Malloy contributed 15 points and 13 boards and Atsushi Nogami poured in nine points for Iwate (19-33).

Jamel Staten paced Chiba (18-34) with 27 points, as well as contributing 12 boards and nine assists. Gaston Moliva had 22 points and 12 rebounds and Hiroki Sato finished with nine points.

"Chapter one of the Chiba Jets is in the books," Jets coach Eric Gardow said after the game.

"With us winning 18 games, I believe we over-achieved expectations in our first year as an expansion team compared to Okinawa's first year only winning 10 games," he added, referring to the Ryukyu Golden Kings' 10-34 campaign in 2007-08.

"The players all have earned valuable experiences that should propel them into key players next season with a strong commitment to their offseason.

"Every one of my Japanese players had their best performances of their career at some point this season in a Chiba Jets uniform and for that I am extremely thankful. . ."

B-Corsairs 63, 89ers 58

In Sendai, Yokohama completed its second straight sweep over the 89ers in as many weeks and picked up its ninth consecutive victory to close out the regular season.

MVP candidate Justin Burrell had 16 points and eight rebounds for the expansion B-Corsairs (31-21), Draelon Burns and Masayuki Kabaya each scored 13 points apiece and Yokohama converted 12 of 14 free throws. Burns dished out five assists.

The 89ers (25-27) shot a woeful 17-for-63 from the field, including 5-for-25 on 3-pointers.

Sendai's Dan Fitzgerald, who needed stitches in his head after hard contact a day earlier, scored a team-high 21 points, but was 3-for-10 on 3s. Teammate Johnny Dukes had 10 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, and also turned the ball over six times. Takuya Komoda scored nine points on 3-for-11 shooting.

The 89ers made two spirited comebacks, but fell short in the end. Trailing 47-37, they closed it to 53-51 and 60-58 in the final 2:33.

"Losing isn't much fun, but the players showed a lot of character battling twice against a tough opponent," said Sendai coach Bob Pierce, who'll be the first bench boss in league history to guide three teams into the postseason. He previously coached the Shiga Lakestars, and most recently, the Akita Northern Happinets.

Sendai captain Takehiko Shimura, one of the league's better point guards, returned to the rotation after missing practiced this past week. He had sustained a head injury in the April 21 game against the Yokohama B-Corsairs in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa Prefecture.

"He played limited minutes in the two games," Pierce noted, citing Shimura's 18- and 15-minute outings, "but now we should have him back full time for the playoffs, where everybody is now 0-0."

Golden Kings 75, Grouses 63

In Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture, Dillion Sneed, Naoto Kosuge and David Palmer each had 14-point outings as Ryukyu cruised past the hosts.

Palmer canned 3 of 4 3-point shots and Tsubasa Yonamine kept the high-power offense rolling, distributing the ball with precision passes (six assists).

Four-time title-winning big man Jeff Newton contributed 16 points, 13 rebounds and two blocked shots for the Golden Kings (39-13), who repeated as the Western Conference regular-season champion.

Speedy guard Narito Namizato did a little bit of everything — six points, six rebounds, four assists, three steals — for the Kings.

For Toyama (25-27) Devin Searcy and Ira Brown had 13 points apiece, Larry Turner scored 10 and Masashi Joho nine.

The Grouses' poor free-throw shooting (11-for-21) was a key factor in the loss.

Rizing 77, Hannaryz 70

In Fukuoka, the one-two punch of Carlos Dixon and Kevin Palmer guided the hosts to a season-ending win over Kyoto.

Dixon was the Rizing's top scorer with 24 points and Palmer supplied 22. Jermaine Dearman had 10 points and macho forward Gary Hamilton raked in 17 rebounds and scored seven points as Fukuoka improved to 33-19.

Kyoto struggled from the perimeter, missing 14 of 16 3-point shots. Jermaine Boyette led the Hannaryz (34-18) with 18 points, Rick Rickert had 14 points and 15 rebounds and Taizo Kawabe scored 10.

Susanoo Magic 81, Shining Suns 54

In Miyakonojo, Miyazaki Prefecture, scoring maestro Michael Parker had a team-high 18 points and three Shimane teammates also reached double figures in points in a win over the hosts.

Edward Yamamoto contributed 17 points, Jeral Davis produced an 11-point, 14-rebound, five-block performance and Micah Williams scored 11 for the Magic.

Shimane (28-24) sank 17 of 20 free throws and held a 51-38 edge in rebounds.

Dexter Lyons scored 20 points for Miyazaki (22-30), Lewis Witcher finished with 10 and Shinnosuke Oishi had nine. Taishiro Shimizu provided five assists for the second-year franchise.

Phoenix 90, Brave Warriors 72

In Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, the two-time defending champions' Big Three carried their club to a runaway victory.

Jermaine Dixon scored 29 points, Wayne Arnold had 22 points and six assists and Jeffrey Parmer chipped in with 18 points and nine boards for Hamamatsu Higashimikawa (37-15). Atsuya Ota finished with seven points and nine rebounds.

Lee Roberts paced Shinshu with 24 points and 10 boards. Derek Raivio had 14 points and five assists for the Warriors, who completed their inaugural season with an 18-34 record.

Evessa 92, Lakestars 79

In Osaka, Masashi Obuchi had a game-high 17 points and Mike Bell contributed 16 points and 12 boards as the Evessa shellacked Shiga.

Wayne Marshall scored 15 points and Shota Konno had 14 for Osaka (35-17).

"We need to maintain the same focus and energy for the playoffs," Evessa coach Ryan Blackwell said.

Josh Peppers led Shiga (33-19) with 19 points, ex-Evessa forward Kazuya "J." Hatano had 13 points and Ray Nixon netted 11.

HeatDevils 106, Five Arrows 52

In Takamatsu, leading scorer Paul Butorac and guard Keishiro Tsutsumi sat out the season finale with injuries and the Five Arrows suffered their 25th straight loss.

Takamatsu (2-50) trailed 30-12 after one quarter and 55-21 entering the second half.

The Five Arrows had a horrible shooting afternoon: 0-for-15 on 3s, 20-for-67 from inside the arc and 12-for-22 at the charity stripe.

Nyika Williams was the high scorer for Takamatsu with 32 points and Masaaki Suzuki added 10.

T.J. Cummings led Oita (23-29) with 33 points and Matt Lottich scored 23. Wendell White added 16 points, 15 rebounds and five assists and Naoto Takushi had 10 assists.

* * *

Playoff pairings for the conference first-round series and conference semifinals have been announced for the East and West.

In the East, third-place Akita plays host to sixth-place Sendai on May 5 and 6, while fourth-place Niigata takes on fifth-place Toyama on those days.

First-place Hamamatsu will face the lower-seeded winner May 12 and 13. Second-place Yokohama will square off against the higher-seeded advancing club on May 10 and 11.

In the West, third-place Kyoto meets sixth-place Shimane on May 5 and 6, while fourth-place Shiga faces fifth-place Fukuoka on the same dates.

Ryukyu gets a bye into the conference semis, and will meet the lower of the two advancing seeds, with Osaka waiting to meet the higher-seeded first-round playoff winner. Both series are set to hold games on May 12 and 13.

The Final Four is scheduled for May 19 and 20 at Tokyo's Ariake Colosseum.

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Tebow, Broncos stun Steelers

DENVER — One of the most storied NFL playoff teams ran into a rejuvenated Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos.

Sorry, Pittsburgh Steelers.

The magic is back.

Tebow connected with Demaryius Thomas on an electrifying 80-yard touchdown pass on the first play of overtime and the Broncos defeated the stunned Steelers 29-23 in the AFC wild-card game on Sunday. Wild doesn't begin to describe it. The play took 11 seconds and was the quickest ending to an overtime in NFL history.

Thomas hauled in a high play-action pass at the Denver 38, stiff-armed Ike Taylor and then outraced Ryan Mundy to the end zone. Tebow, who looked as startled as everyone else, chased down Thomas and knelt on one knee — a gesture known far and wide these days as Tebowing. Then he pounded a fist in triumph and took a victory lap.

"When I saw him scoring, first of all, I just thought, 'Thank you, Lord,' " Tebow said. "Then, I was running pretty fast, chasing him — Like I can catch up to D.T.! Then I just jumped into the stands, first time I've done that. That was fun. Then, got on a knee and thanked the Lord again and tried to celebrate with my teammates and the fans."

Prodded by John Elway to let the ball fly, Tebow acted as if the last three weeks never happened, lifting the Broncos to their first playoff win in six years.

Behind Tebow's 316 yards passing, the Broncos (9-8) are heading to New England for a second-round game against the top-seeded Patriots on Saturday night. And, unlike Elway, who lost his first postseason start — to the Steelers at home in 1984 — Tebow is 1-0 in the playoffs.

"We're just a fighting team. A lot of resilience," Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey said. "In any adverse situation, we'll find a way to get out of it. Everybody says we backed into the playoffs, we're in. We did something right along the way. We're in it. We won a game. Now, we've got to go try to win another one."

The Steelers (12-5) lost despite Ben Roethlisberger rallying injury-depleted Pittsburgh from a two-touchdown halftime deficit with 10 points in the final 10 minutes.

Pittsburgh called tails for the overtime coin toss, and it came up heads.

Tebow, who engineered five fourth-quarter comebacks and three OT wins in the regular season, wasted no time in finding Thomas to end the game. Mundy was playing in place of Ryan Clark, the Steelers' leading tackler who sat this one out because of a blood condition that's exacerbated at altitude.

Clark was one of several Steelers sidelined or injured. Pro Bowl center Maurkice Pouncey was out, replaced by Doug Legursky, who had a bad snap right before halftime that moved Pittsburgh out of field goal range.

Thomas raced down the Broncos sideline, sending the crowd, including Elway, the Broncos executive vice president, into a frenzy at Sports Authority Field, which was rocking like the old Mile High Stadium back in the 1990s.

And Elway, the architect of so many those magical moments at the old place, jumped for joy on the field like he used to when he was the one throwing the winning pass.

The Patriots walloped the Broncos 41-23 last month, sending Tebow into a funk that included seven turnovers and a 40 percent completion clip — and prompting Elway to implore him to "pull the trigger" in the playoffs.

Did he ever.

Tebow completed 10 of 21 passes but Thomas hauled in four of them for 204 yards after his top target, Eric Decker, was lost to a left knee injury on the first play of the second quarter when he was hit by linebacker James Harrison.

Tebow also ran 10 times for 50 yards.

"I think we executed a little bit better. We tried to step up," Tebow said. "We knew it was win or go home. This team wanted to fight. We wanted to play another game."

EAST RUTHERFORD, New jersey — All the missing pieces — defense and a running game — are aligning at the right time for Eli Manning and the New York Giants. And just in time to play the Packers.

After routing the Atlanta Falcons 24-2 Sunday in the NFC wild-card game, the Giants head to Green Bay next weekend, a place where they will need all the help they can muster.

Manning carried the Giants (10-7) for much of the season, hoping the defense would get stingy, the pass rush would materialize and the running game would get on track. Now, all of that is happening.

"A great mix of run and pass and these guys have a great understanding of what our offense is," Manning said of the help he's receiving. "If we can get that run game going like we did in the second half, that opens up a lot of windows."

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Humphrey, Broncos rout Big Bulls

The Saitama Broncos snapped a six-game losing streak on Thursday, trouncing the host Iwate Big Bulls 98-75 in the bj-league.

John "Helicopter" Humphrey scored a game-high 37 points. It was Humphrey's highest-scoring game since a 52-point outburst on Dec. 10. He was 13-for-18 from the field and made three steals. Saitama improved to 7-15.

Jayme Miller added 17 points and nine rebounds for the Broncos and Nashid Beard and Kenny Satterfield each scored nine points. Satterfield led the team with seven assists. Beard blocked three shots.

For Iwate (7-17), Gordon Klaiber had 22 points and 12 rebounds and Thomas Kennedy added 19 points and eight boards. Yoshiaki Yamamoto and Shawn Malloy each had 10 points.

Also Wednesday, Masashi Joho scored a game-high 21 points in the Toyama Grouses' 85-61 victory over the Yokohama B-Corsairs.

Toyama (10-10) has won four of its last five games, including a series sweep at Yokohama International Swimming Pool.

Joho had 18 points by halftime, and Toyama led 33-29.

Haakim Johnson and Brian Harper each scored 12 points apiece and Takeshi Mito and Devin Searcy both had 10 as coach Kazuaki Shimoji's club solidified its fifth-place spot in the Eastern Conference standings.

Justin Burrell paced the B-Corsairs (9-13) with 13 points and 13 rebounds, Marcus Simmons scored 10 points, Masayuki Kabaya had nine and Kenji Yamada had eight. Yokohama had 23 turnovers.

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Phoenix pile more woe on struggling Broncos

TOKOROZAWA, Saitama Pref. — The proof is in the record book, so go ahead and look it up.

The Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix know how to win basketball games. Good shooting and smart, aggressive defense get the job done for the two-time defending bj-league champions.

The Saitama Broncos, on the other hand, have a long way to go to reach that level. Saitama dropped its fifth straight game on Sunday, falling 87-70 to the Phoenix before a lively crowd at Tokorozawa Municipal Gymnasium.

Hamamatsu, which led by three points after one quarter, turned the game into a rout by outclassing the hosts in all facets in the second and third quarters, especially in the scoring department. The Eastern Conference-leading Phoenix (14-8) outscored the hosts 46-27 in the middle two quarters, including 25-9 in the second stanza to take a 50-31 edge into the locker room at halftime.

The Phoenix shot 18-for-36 from 2-point range and ran their offense like a smooth Ferrari coasting down a curvy mountain road to post another win over the Broncos. Jermaine Dixon orchestrated the offense with 18 points and seven assists, while Herve Lamizana continues to play at a high level since joining the club in November, with 18 points, nine rebounds and two steals in 18-plus minutes. Ex-Tokyo and Shimane forward Shoji Nakanishi scored 12 points and buried four 3-pointers. Gyno Pomare added 10 points. Reigning regular-season and Final Four MVP Jeffrey Parmer made three of Hamamatsu's 12 steals.

In the fourth quarter, Hamamatsu's scrappy, hustling play kept Saitama from mounting a serious comeback.

First-year Phoenix coach Ryuji Kawai commended his players' effort after the game. The key, he said, was "we played 40 minutes of basketball, gave 40 minutes of (good) effort."

Not shy to dish out praise to his players, Kawai didn't just speak about the team's well-known stars — Parmer, Wayne Arnold or Dixon. He spoke about the productive play of Nakanishi, Japan national team center Atsuya Ota and spitfire guard Yuki Yamaguchi (four points, four assists in 11:48). "These guys are stepping up their play," Kawai added.

Saitama (6-14), stuck in ninth place in the 10-team East, will look to regain its form against the host Iwate Big Bulls on Wednesday and Thursday.

Kenny Satterfield paced the Broncos with 18 points and five assists. Jayme Miller and Daiki Terashita each scored 15 and Yuki Kitamuki had 10. Two-time scoring champion John "Helicopter" Humphrey was held to seven points on 2-for-11 shooting. Newcomer Nashid Beard grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds in his second game in a Broncos uniform.

Saitama had 21 turnovers in the series finale. In the two-game series, the Broncos shot 45-for-130 from the field, including 12-for-48 from 3-point range. Sunday's output was 23-for-67 overall and 7-for-27 from beyond the arc, and there were scattered boos after the game ended.

"Hamamatsu did a very good job shooting the ball at a high percentage, 50 percent on 2s and 37.5 percent on 3s, so it's always going to be a challenge when a team like that is shooting very well," Broncos coach Natalie Nakase said.

The Broncos saw the game vanish from their reach early in the second quarter. Arnold and Nakanishi opened the quarter by hitting back-to-back 3s to make it 31-22, and the rout was on. In the game-changing second quarter, Hamamatsu was 5-for-7 from 3-point range.

During Saitama's losing streak, Nakase said the team is working to make improvements.

"We're waiting to get healthy, everybody healthy," she said. "We understand that we've been out without a few posts (frontcourt players), so I think as a team we've done a great job covering for each other in the post. Obviously, we've adjusted our defense. But we do understand at the same time that once we are all healthy we really feel we are going to be really effective."

After the loss, Nakase said the team's defensive rotations are something her players will work on in the coming weeks. "We tried to change during the game, something different, and we probably weren't prepared so much for the rotation," she admitted. "So yeah . . . that's something we can focus on. Be more aggressive in general. When we are allowed to play real, real aggressive, we have to make sure that we match that intensity."

Hannaryz 80, Northern Happinets 76 (OT)

In Kyoto, the Hannaryz outlasted Akita in overtime to stretch their winning streak to a franchise-best 12 games.

Rick Rickert and Sunao Murakami both scored 14 points for Kyoto (15-5). Taizo Kawabe scored 10 points and Jermaine Boyette had nine. Former NBA center Lance Allred, the author of two basketball books, had eight points and 11 rebounds. The Hannaryz haven't lost a game since Nov. 6.

Ricky Woods and E.J. Drayton led the Northern Happinets (13-9) with 16 points apiece, Ryosuke Mizumachi scored 14 and Kazuhiro Shoji had 11. Curtis Terry, NBA guard Jason Terry's half-brother, was 1-for-11 from 3-point range in the loss, finishing with nine points.

Evessa 61, 89ers 55

In Osaka, veteran guard Satoshi Takeda sank 3 of 4 3-points shots and scored 17 points as the Evessa completed a series sweep.

Lynn Washington, back in the lineup after serving a one-game suspension for a flagrant foul, contributed 15 points and 12 boards for Osaka (15-5). Cohey Aoki added eight points and Lawrence Blackledge blocked four shots as the Evessa's defense kept Sendai below 60 points for the second straight game.

Johnny Dukes had 23 points and 16 rebounds for the 89ers (11-11) and Takehiko Shimura scored 16 points.

The 89ers shot 3-for-24 from beyond the 3-point arc.

"At least we were close both days, with a chance to win at the buzzer yesterday, and chance to tie it with about 1:09 left today," Sendai coach Bob Pierce said. "Still, all that's left is the pain of losing."

Rizing 93, Susanoo Magic 88

In Fukuoka, Carlos Dixon scored 32 points, Akitomo Takeno added 14 and the hosts earned a series sweep.

Kevin Palmer and Jermaine Dearman each had 13 points for Fukuoka (15-7).

Michael Parker led Shimane (12-10) with 24 points, 16 rebounds and four blocks. Reggie Golson had 20 points, B.J. Puckett chipped in with 14 and Tatsuhiro Yokoo had 10.

B-Corsairs 78, Brave Warriors 76

In Okaya, Nagano Prefecture, Justin Burrell paced Yokohama with 22 points as coach Reggie Geary's squad edged the hosts and recorded a series sweep.

Captain Masayuki Kabaya scored 16 points and Pape Mour Faye added 10 points and nine boards for the B-Corsairs (9-11).

Derek Raivio was Shinshu's top scorer with 24 points, Lee Roberts had 19 points and 20 rebounds and Edward Morris and Takanori Goya each had 10 points.

The Brave Warriors fell to 9-13.

Golden Kings 87, HeatDevils 63

In Kitsuki, Oita Prefecture, Naoto Kosuge had a 20-point outing, Anthony McHenry scored 19 and Ryukyu improved to 12-2 on the road.

David Palmer scored 17 points for the Western Conference-leading Golden Kings (17-5) and Narito Namizato dished out eight assists.

For Oita, T.J. Cummings scored 22 points and Zach Atkinson posted a double-double (15 points, 20 boards). Kohei Mitomo and Naoto Takushi finished with 11 points apiece for the HeatDevils (4-18).

Shining Suns 103, Five Arrows 66

In Miyakonojo, Miyazaki Prefecture, Dexter Lyons had a 29-point performance and Tsubasa Yonezawa scored 18 points after a season-high 16 in the series opener a day earlier as the hosts bounced back from a loss.

Miyazaki improved to 10-12.

Paul Butorac led Takamatsu (1-21) with 19 points.

Lakestars 89, Big Bulls 74

In Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, balanced scoring carried the hosts past Iwate.

Shiga's Ray Nixon had a team-high 19 points, followed by Josh Peppers' 18, Dionisio Gomez's 17 and Shinya Ogawa's 11. The Lakestars (15-7) lost the opener on Saturday.

Thomas Kennedy paced the Big Bulls (6-16) with 18 points. Yoshiaki Yamamoto scored 14 and Hayato Kantake had 12.

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Broncos eager to test newfound strength against Brady, Pats

ENGLEWOOD, Colorado — The Denver Broncos haven't been to the playoffs since 2006, so they're in no position and certainly no mood to judge the quality of the opponents they're dispatching with all this last-minute magic.

They're 7-1 since Tim Tebow took over and started engineering a series of outrageous second-half comebacks. Those opponents, though, have a combined record of 39-52.

With Tom Brady and the powerful New England Patriots (10-3) coming to town Sunday, the Broncos (8-5) see this as a chance to prove they're not just a curiosity but a contender.

"Yeah, well, we need to prove it to ourselves," star cornerback Champ Bailey said. "We've played against some teams that were kind of struggling. We'd like to go put it together against a top-quality quarterback like Brady."

It's not just Tebow who's facing what could be his toughest test since he started the final three games last season and then supplanted an ineffective Kyle Orton in October after a 1-4 start.

Denver's dominant defense, which has two hiccups — against the multifaceted Lions and Packers, faces another formidable challenge in the Patriots, led by Brady, who's thrown for 33 touchdown passes, 15 of them to big tight end Rob Gronkowski and nine to Wes Welker, who already has 100 catches.

"He's getting them all the ball," said Broncos safety Brian Dawkins. "Nobody's really starving for catches."

And so, the AFC East-leading Patriots are feasting on opponents, putting up an AFC-best 31 points a game.

That kind of firepower means the AFC West-leading Broncos' notoriously slow-starting offense will have to keep pace, and given New England's defensive shortcomings, this game could turn into a shootout.

Only twice have the Broncos piled up points since Tebow took over in October. They put up 38 at Oakland and 35 at Minnesota. But six times they've failed to even score 20 points with Tebow starting.

That's why so many see this game as the Broncos' best barometer yet.

The Patriots have the pedigree the Broncos used to have when they, too, were a perennial playoff team. But Denver hasn't punched its ticket to the postseason party since losing to Pittsburgh in the AFC Championship Game following the 2005 season.

"Obviously New England has been a team that's been in the playoffs for the last decade or whatever. So they've got a lot of players who've been there," Broncos pass rusher Elvis Dumervil said. "They're the team that's always been in the playoffs. We want to establish ourselves as that team. This is a good challenge for us."

The Patriots could clinch a playoff spot and inch closer to home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, which could prove the best salve for their defensive troubles.

The Broncos could take a lot of pressure off themselves over the final two weeks of the season, with games against Buffalo on the road and at home against AFC West rival Kansas City.

Bailey, the perennial Pro Bowl cornerback, will have his work cut out for him, covering either Welker in the slot or the Patriots' two big tight ends in Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez.

"What makes them so tough is their size," Bailey said. "I can keep up with them with my feet, but it's just the pushing and the shoving and the ball placement. It's tougher when you have a quarterback like Tom Brady, because he puts the ball where nobody else can get it."

Then, he might have to chase around Welker, the 175-cm dynamo who's putting up big numbers himself.

"It's like night and day, but they're all productive," Bailey said. "We've got some tools that we're going to use and hopefully they work."

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Broncos lose in spite of Humphrey's best efforts

TOKOROZAWA, Saitama Pref. — John "Helicopter" Humphrey had carried his team for most of the game.

He had made 14 field goals to put his team in a position to win on a day when that seemed improbable, and had a chance to make a game-winning shot at the buzzer. But his final long-range shot was off the mark in the Saitama Broncos' 85-83 loss to the visiting Ryukyu Golden Kings on Sunday at Tokorozawa Municipal Gymnasium.

Humphrey, a two-time bj-league scoring champion (2005-06 and 2006-07) with the Tokyo Apache, finished with a jaw-dropping 40 points, including 7-for-12 from 3-point range, on an afternoon when his teammates needed him to shoulder the offensive load.

The Broncos fell to 3-5, while the Golden Kings, the 2008-09 champion, improved to 6-2, including 5-1 on the road.

"Okinawa, they just made one more shot than us at the end of the game," Saitama coach Dean Murray said. "They deserved to win it, but our guys fought all the way until the end."

Humphrey, the former Apache star, who returned to the league after a two-year absence, scored 18 fourth-quarter points. Rookie forward John Flowers, who had a 26-point game, added nine points in the final stanza.

It appeared as though Humphrey and Flowers were feeding off each other, knowing when to get the ball to the each other and getting their teammates to look for them within the flow of the offense.

"It's just playing the game within the game," Humphrey said.

"I don't believe in moral victories," Humphrey added, "but in a sense it lets our team know that when we play together, we can play with anybody.

"If one shot goes in, or one rebound goes the other way, we win the game. We've just got to play together like that every game. We can't pick and choose . . . and that's one thing, the team is young and they just don't understand yet. But we're coming together and we'll get it right."

Ryukyu led 21-20 after the first quarter. Saitama took a 41-40 lead into the locker room at halftime as Humphrey drained a 3-pointer to put his team ahead in the closing seconds of the half.

In a sign of things to come, Humphrey and Flowers were the two main scorers for the Broncos, combining for 29 of Saitama's first-half points.

That was partly due to this development: Saitama's Kenny Satterfield, a former NBA point guard, played only 6 minutes, 55 seconds in the series opener on Saturday due chronic ankle pain. The Broncos lost that game, falling 96-75 to the Golden Kings. And Satterfield, who has been called the best guard in league history by Osaka's Lynn Washington, didn't play on Sunday, though he did participate in pregame warmup drills.

Much of the Broncos' offense ran through Humphrey, who had a team-high four assists, rookie forward John Flowers and forward Daiki Terashita (two assists).

"I needed to score more today, so I needed to be more aggressive," Humphrey said. "I looked for my shot more, and a couple went in and I got rolling so I might as well keep playing."

"First of all, John is the best leader we have on our team," Murray said. "He always comes to play hard every day, and it carries over. He has a great work ethic by himself. Even this week, he got hurt in practice on Tuesday and didn't practice for a few days. . . . He knew he had to fight for the team this weekend, so he fought all the way to the end. I didn't even know he had 40 but it's no surprising. From the tipoff to the last second, John always plays hard."

Jeff Newton led the Golden Kings with 20 points and 10 rebounds, Reggie Okosa had 13 points, Yasufumi Takushi had three big 3-pointers and 11 points, Dzaflo Larkai scored 10 and Narito Namizato and Naoto Kosuge each had nine.

As part of a 7-2 run to close out the third quarter, Takushi drained a corner 3 to give Ryukyu a 63-54 advantage entering the final period.

Larkai made a strong move in the lane and hit a shot in traffic as the Golden Kings stretched the lead to 68-58 early in the fourth.

Saitama pulled within 72-69 on a Flowers basket with 5:55 remaining, but he missed a chance at a three-point play on the subsequent free throw. Namizato then sank two free throws to stretch the lead back to five, the newcomer making all five of his fourth-quarter free-throw attempts and scoring a team-high seven points total in the decisive quarter.

The Broncos led for short stretches (78-77 and 81-80) before the Golden Kings pulled ahead for good down the stretch.

Namizato's jumper made it 82-81 and, after Flowers lost the handle while dribbling, Namizato got the ball back, was fouled and sank two free throws to make it a three-point game.

Flowers was fouled shooting a 3-pointer with 7.8 seconds left and went to the line for three shots. He made the first two but missed the last one, making it 84-83 in Ryukyu's favor. After the miss, Newton grabbed the defensive rebound and was sent to the line, where he made the second of two shots to account for the final margin, but not before Humphrey's miss to end the game.

Ryukyu coach Dai Oketani said his team played a good game, but at the end it was a little too close for comfort. As the season progresses, newcomers Okosa and Larkai are growing more comfortable with the team's system, he said, adding that in the fourth quarter, he has "confidence in Namizato to take the ball inside and execute the offense."

Shining Suns 100, Five Arrows 77

In Takamatsu, Dexter Lyons scored 23 points and Lewis Witcher had 22to lead Miyazaki to a series sweep over the winless hosts.

Taishiro Shimizu added six assists for the Shining Suns (2-6).

Nyika Williams paced the Five Arrows (0-8) with 18 points.

Miyazaki took control of the game after halftime, outscoring Takamatsu 35-14 in the third quarter.

Lakestars 83, Susanoo Magic 69

In Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, Josh Peppers finished with 28 points, nine rebounds and three steals and Julius Ashby had a 26-point, 13-rebound, two-block afternoon as the hosts earned a series split.

Ray Nixon scored 12 points and Shinya Ogawa had 11 and made 3 of 4 3-point shots as Shiga improved to 6-2.

Michael Parker paced Shimane (5-3) with 24 points and Tatsuhiro Yokoo scored 11. The Magic struggled at the charity stripe (14-for-29).

Phoenix 74, B-Corsairs 72

In Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture, Jermaine Dixon scored 19 points, Jeffrey Parmer contributed 17 and Hamamatsu Higashimikawa earned a series sweep over Yokohama.

Shoji Nakanishi, a former Tokyo and Shimane player, added 16 points and Atsuya Ota had 12 for the Phoenix (4-4).

For the B-Corsairs (4-6), who played their fourth game in five days, Justin Burrell was the leading scorer with 18 points and Kenji Yamada had 16. Marcus Simmons and Chas McFarland each had 12 points for the first-year club.

Grouses 98, Big Bulls 88

In Kamiichimachi, Toyama Prefecture, Devin Searcy and Brian Harper scored 20 points apiece and the Grouses improved to 4-4 with their second win in as many days.

Masashi Joho and Ira Brown both poured in 15 points for Toyama, which sank 15 of 17 free throws. Searcy grabbed 13 rebounds.

For Iwate (1-7), Yoshiaki Yamamoto scored a game-best 29 points, Makoto Sawaguchi had 18 and Thomas Kennedy 15.

Evessa 78, Hannaryz 62

In Kyoto, Osaka made 17 of 20 free throws, including Cohey Aoki's 6-for-6 en route to a well-rounded victory.

Aoki had a team-high 21 points and drained 3 of 6 3-pointers. The Evessa improved to 7-1, the best record in the nine-team Western Conference. Lynn Washington added 16 points, 11 boards and six assists, while Daisuke Tamura scored 10.

For Kyoto (3-5), Rick Rickert notched a double-double (16 points, 10 rebounds) and Lance Allred scored 14. The Hannaryz were 1-for-14 from beyond the 3-point arc.

89ers 88, Brave Warriors 72

In Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, Dan Fitzgerald scored 15 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter to lead Sendai to a sweep over Shinshu.

The 89ers' O'Neal Mims added 26 points and exhibited poise at the foul line, draining 12 of 16 shots. Sendai captain Takehiko Shimura had 15 points and four assists and Johnny Dukes dished out eight assists as the 89ers improved to 5-3.

Tyler Hughes and Derek Raivio finished with 17 points apiece for the Brave Warriors (4-4) and Takato Saito handed out seven assists.

After the victory, Sendai coach Bob Pierce said, "(Small forward Yoshihiro) Tachibana was the unsung hero of this one, playing aggressive defense on Raivio in the second half."

Pierce added: "Dan took over scoring honors . . . as we fought hard to get that second win in a row on the road. Great team effort."

Jets 65, Northern Happinets 54

In Akita, Marcus Hargrow had 22 points, Jamel Staten supplied 17 points and 10 boards and Chiba's defense clamped down on the high-scoring hosts to salvage a series split.

Akita guard Michael Gardener was held to five points on 2-for-11 shooting. E.J. Drayton led the Happinets (6-2) with 20 points.

The Jets' Gaston Moliva had a productive afternoon (eight points, eight rebounds, four steals and two blocks), Tomoya Nakamura hauled in six rebounds in 10:15 playing time and Reina Itakura scored 12 as Chiba (6-2) remains tied with Akita for the best record in the Eastern Conference.

"One of the greatest parts of the game of basketball is when you can play team defense with energy and intensity for all four quarters," Jets coach Eric Gardow told The Japan Times. "It only takes one or two players to be a part of a made basket on offense,

"It takes all five guys on the floor to commit to stopping an opponent from scoring. And that is special. Great win and a long bus ride just got a little shorter. Back home and back to work."

Rizing 92, HeatDevils 79

In Oita, Kevin Palmer's 29 points and six steals and Carlos Dixon's 21-point performance sparked Fukuoka to a win over the hosts.

Akitomo Takeno made seven assists as the Rizing improved to 4-4.

For Oita (3-5, Wendell White had 25 points and 10 boards and T.J. Cummings scored 20 points.

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