Gunma 98-81 Levanga Hokkaido at B.League Manila Games 2026: Hot 3-Point Shooting and the Tominaga Puzzle

Keisei Tominaga scored 19 first-half points and none in the second half. That split is the most instructive detail behind Gunma’s 98-81 win over Levanga Hokkaido at the B.League Manila Games 2026. The game was an exhibition organized by Japan’s B.League at Manila, framed as a celebration of Japan-Philippines ties and as a step toward the Southeast Asian market. Gunma entered as the No. 3 seed in the B.League East last season, while Levanga’s position was not reported by SPIN.ph. Gunma led all four quarters and won by 17. They shot 16-for-30 from three-point range, 53.3%. Stanley Johnson, a former NBA player, led all scorers with 23 points, five rebounds, three assists and five made triples. AJ Edu finished with three points, seven rebounds and four assists, and Koh Flippin added three steals. Dwight Ramos had 13 points on 3-of-5 three-point shooting for Levanga, while Trey Jones scored 16. Gunma coach Kyle Milling said his team got into good rhythm early with good passing and open shots, and avoided easy fouls and easy baskets in the second half. The box score supports an offense built on ball movement more than isolation, but there are limits to what one preseason game can prove. A 16-for-30 shooting line from three has a standard error close to 9%, meaning the true percentage could be anywhere from roughly 35% to above 70%. The important part is that Gunma’s threes came from organized possessions, not desperation. The most eye-catching individual story is Tominaga. He scored all 19 of his points in the first half and disappeared after halftime. Which caused the fade: defensive attention, fatigue, or normal shooting variance? The article does not provide enough data to know. The second game will be more useful because Levanga will have had time to adjust. Edu’s low scoring line should not be read as a bad game. His seven rebounds and four assists point to a big man who can act as a secondary playmaker, allowing Johnson and the shooters to operate in space. For Levanga, Ramos confirmed his value as a three-point threat and a natural marketing bridge to Filipino fans. The event itself is bigger than the score. B.League deliberately brought teams with Filipino-connected players to Manila. That means the strategic reading of this game belongs to marketing and league expansion more than standings. Gunma and Levanga meet again on Thursday in the same arena, and that rematch will tell more about adjustments than this opener did. A preseason game does not provide answers; it provides questions for the next one.