Kai Sotto scored the go-ahead hook shot with a minute remaining to push the Yokohama B-Corsairs past Thirdy Ravena and the San-en NeoPhoenix.
Kai Sotto appears to have unlocked a certain confidence to his game.
Taking on a top B.League team in Thirdy Ravena’s San-en NeoPhoenix Wednesday, Kai went to work, leading his Yokohama B-Corsairs to an impressive 81-76 home win.
Sotto scored eight points in points in the fourth, none bigger than his go-ahead hook shot with 1:09 remaining that broke a 76-all tie.
His clutch shot came in between two huge rebounds, the latter leading to a booming Yuki Kawamura trey to put the NeoPhoenix away.
In total, Sotto finished with 23 points, 16 in the second half, on 11-of-14 shooting. He also had 10 rebounds, making it five double-doubles in his last six games.
Kai also achieved a personal milestone in the win, as it’s his fifth-straight time in double figures to make it a career-high for his professional career, which is now in year 4 including his stint as an Adelaide 36er in the NBL.
Thirdy Ravena had 10 points and five rebounds for San-en, but the NeoPhoenix are officially on a rough patch following their franchise-record 16 straight wins.
San-en has now lost four in row, and its 34-8 record is no longer good for first place in the B.League’s top division. The Utsunomiya Brex now hold that distinction with a 35-7 mark.