By NIKOLE JAVIER
DWIGHT RAMOS reached a new career milestone after tallying 1,000 points and helping Levanga Hokkaido slip past his former team Toyama Grousers to greet the new year in the Japan B.League.
The 25-year-old guard followed the footsteps of the Ravena brothers, Thirdy and Kiefer as the only Filipino imports to hit the thousand scoring mark.
In Ramos’ year-end playdates with Hokkaido, his 13-point outing steered the squad past Toyama in a decisive 87-65 win before repeating over them with an 88-81 escape the following day.
Hokkaido improved its win-loss record to 8-18.
Meanwhile, Thirdy’s San-En NeoPhoenix rose to the No. 2 after victories against the Chiba Jets also over the weekend.
Thirdy posted 11 points, three rebounds and six assists in the Jets’ 96-94 victory to cap the year with a 22-4 tally just behind Alvark Tokyo in the top seed.
On the other hand, Kai Sotto emerged triumphant in his Yokohama debut as the B-Corsairs squeaked past the Seahorse Mikawa, 73-72, in his first game of the ongoing season.
The 7-foot-3 center delivered four points, four rebounds and three blocks after moving to Yokohama on a loan from the Hiroshima Dragonflies.
Sotto missed three months of play in the league following a back injury he’s been nursing since the 2023 NBA Summer League where he played for the Orlando Magic.
Yokohama, though, suffered an 89-72 defeat against the same team to take home split results and dropped to an 11-15 slate in the standings.
Other Filipino players in Carl Tamayo was also handed defeat as the reigning champions Ryukyu Golden Kings fell to the Sendai 89ers, 83-81, on New Year’s Day.
Tamayo tallid nine points in 11 minutes of action as Ryukyu absorbed a 19-7 record in the fourth spot.
