Star forward Lynn Washington scored his 5,000th point in an Osaka Evessa uniform on Saturday, leading the hosts to a 79-60 season-opening victory over the Takamatsu Five Arrows at Sumiyoshi Sports Center. The Chiba Jets, meanwhile, collected a win in their first game in the bj-league.
Washington entered the game with 4,996 points. When it was over, he had an 18-point, 12-rebound performance, a reminder that he remains a model of consistency in a rapidly changing league.
"The game was good, not great," said Washington, the league's all-time leading scorer. "We were playing Takamatsu so it is quite understandable that we took some things for granted. However, at the end of the day we played hard and our talent took us over the top. We are very talented and anything short of a championship is unheard of."