What Happened

Alvark Tokyo closed the regular season with a hard-fought 97-93 road win over the Xac Broncos on February 11 at M Bank Arena, finishing 5-1 and clinching the No. 1 overall seed for the EASL Finals. The result also secured Alvark one of two automatic byes into the semifinals.

The teams traded runs from the opening tip. Alvark edged ahead 22-20 after the first quarter and carried a 44-41 lead into halftime. The Broncos kept pressure on in the third and briefly moved in front during a tight stretch, but Alvark entered the fourth with a narrow 66-65 advantage. From there, it became a grind, with both sides exchanging leads until Alvark delivered the decisive plays in the closing minutes.

After a Federick Lish three-pointer put Xac ahead 88-80 with 2:08 remaining, the Broncos appeared to have the game in hand. Alvark responded quickly. A Sebastian Saiz three cut the deficit to 90-86 with 1:37 left, and another Saiz triple that rattled around the rim before dropping made it 90-89. Following a defensive stop, Taiki Osakabe drilled a right-wing three with 22 seconds remaining to give Alvark a 92–90 lead, a margin they would not surrender.

Saiz led all scorers with 38 points, anchoring the comeback and closing the night as Alvark went an elite 20-for-21 at the free throw line. Ian Miller paced the Broncos with 25 points, while Barsbold Baatar-Erdene nearly posted a triple-double with 16 points, nine rebounds, and 12 assists.

‍

‍

What It Means 

Alvark Tokyo secured the No. 1 overall seed with the win and advances directly to the semifinals of the EASL Finals. They will open their postseason on March 20 at Studio City Event Center, facing the winner of the March 18 quarterfinal between the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots and the Seoul SK Knights.

For the Xac Broncos, the loss officially ends their playoff hopes. They finish third in Group C and close the season on a three-game losing streak after becoming the first team this year to open the campaign at 3-0.

‍

‍

Player of the Game: Sebastian Saiz

Sebastian Saiz earned Player of the Game honors after delivering a dominant 38-point performance to lift Alvark Tokyo to a 97-93 road win. The Spanish big man was efficient throughout, shooting 10-of-17 from the field and a perfect 14-of-14 from the free throw line, repeatedly stepping up in key moments as the game tightened late.

Saiz also knocked down four 3-pointers, with two of them coming at the biggest possible time in the dying moments of the fourth quarter. His late shot-making helped fuel Alvark’s comeback from an eight-point deficit with just over two minutes remaining, flipping the game on its head and sending Alvark into the EASL Finals as the No. 1 overall seed.

‍

‍

Super Statistic: 95.2%

Alvark Tokyo went 20-for-21 at the free throw line (95.2%) to close out the Xac Broncos, knocking down 20 free throws in a four-point win. It marked Alvark’s best single-game free-throw percentage of the season and also their highest total of made free throws this year.

And for a team that has been consistently elite at the stripe, it fits the trend. Alvark has not dipped below 80% from the line in any single game so far this season, and this was their sharpest performance yet.

‍

‍

Next Up 

Alvark Tokyo will open their EASL Finals campaign on March 20 in Macau at Studio City Event Center, advancing directly to the semifinals as the No. 1 overall seed. They will face the winner of the March 18 quarterfinal between the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots and the Seoul SK Knights.

Alvark finished the regular season 5-1 to claim Group C and secure an automatic bye into the semifinal round, winning five straight after dropping their season opener to the Xac Broncos on October 8. Taoyuan and Seoul SK will meet on March 18 with a trip to face Alvark at stake.