The Isuzu GigaCats clawed they way back in a low-scoring fourth quarter Tuesday to defeat the Toyota Alvark 72-69 and claim their sixth Japan Basketball League title after a hard-fought final series.
Toyota, which leveled the playoff finals at 1-1 with Sunday's 94-81 win, also at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, came up short in its bid for a first JBL crown as Lucius Davis and Michael Takahashi combined for 35 points to lead Isuzu to victory.
Power forward Davis scored a game-high 20 points on 8-of-20 shooting, while crowd favorite Takahashi added 15, despite shooting just 33 percent from the floor as Isuzu outscored Toyota 14-10 in the fourth quarter.
Japan point guard Kenichi Sako, who dished out eight assists, was named the series MVP after guiding Isuzu to a second title this season following the club's triumph at the national championship tourney in January.
Charles O'Bannon, a member of UCLA's 1995 NCAA championship team and Toyota's Game 2 hero, was held to just eight points on 3-of-10 shooting.
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