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Japan Forward
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Japan Forward
B.League Finals: Ryukyu Rebounds with Game 2 Victory
The Golden Kings outscored the Utsunomiya Brex 24-11 in the decisive fourth quarter to even the best-of-three Finals at one game apiece. Ryukyu Golden Kings guard Hayate Arakawa shoots a layup in the fourth quarter in Game 2 of the Finals against the Utsunomiya Brex on May 25, 2025, at Yokohama Arena. (© YOKOHAMA ― Facing elimination with one more loss in the Finals, the Ryukyu Golden Kings excelled in the fourth quarter of Game 2 on Sunday afternoon, May 25. With their title hopes on the line, the dynamic one-two punch of veteran forward Vic Law and reserve guard Hayate Arakawa carried the offense. They scored 10 points apiece in the fourth, with both knocking down a pair of 3-point shots, as the Golden Kings outscored the Utsunomiya Brex 24-11 in the final period to secure a hard-earned 87-75 victory. Game 3 of the best-of-three championship series is on Tuesday night, May 27. Tipoff is 7:05 PM. Players from both teams spoke about the significance of the series finale shortly after Game 2 wrapped up. "It's do or die now," said Brex guard DJ Newbill, the 2023-24 season MVP, after his game-high 21-point, seven-rebound, seven-assist, three-steal performance. "We've got to come out and play our game." He added that his team must play "with a sense of urgency" on Tuesday. Ryukyu star Vic Law (KYODO) After leading the Golden Kings with 19 points and grabbing seven rebounds, Law said his team's trademark will be on display once again in the series-deciding match. "Each game, each night, we play as hard as we can," the Northwestern University alum said. Frontcourt mate Jack Cooley, who notched a double-double (13 points, 10 rebounds), said the Golden Kings recognize what's their top priority for Tuesday night. "We're going to play our hardest in our final game," Cooley vowed. x Golden Kings fans show support for their team. ( Utsunomiya won the series opener 81-68 on Saturday. In that game, the Brex sank 16 3-pointers, and 22-year-old point guard Atsuya Ogawa sparked the Eastern Conference champions with 15 points off the bench. Ryukyu coach Dai Oketani called Ogawa the X-factor in Game 1 and said he was determined to limit his impact on Sunday. The Golden Kings held the Brex to 11 3-pointers out of 34 attempts in Game 2, and Ogawa was held to six points (on 2-for-5 shooting). Ryukyu's overall energy and hustle plays at both ends of the floor were crucial. The Western Conference champions outrebounded the Brex 47-33, including a 22-13 advantage on the offensive glass, which helped them score 22 second-chance points. Moreover, the Golden Kings' frequent attack-the-basket tactics were on display throughout the 40-minute contest, leading to a 46-34 advantage in points in the paint. In his quick analysis of the bounce-back win, Oketani praised his players for their effective performance and for their spirited effort. "I would like to give my sincere praise to the players who persevered through many difficult times," Oketani said. "We will not forget the flow and energy we showed in the second half today, and we look forward to another exciting game in Game 3." Golden Kings shooting guard Masahiro Waki runs the offense. Waki had 12 points and eight assists. ( In addition to Law's team-high scoring effort, Arakawa and Cooley finished with 13 points apiece. Arakawa, who averaged 5.3 points in the regular season, was the X-factor in Game 2, according to Oketani. Also for Ryukyu, shooting guard Masahiro Waki chipped in with 12 points and handed out eight assists. Shota Onodera and Keve Aluma both had eight points. Aluma also grabbed 10 rebounds in 24-plus minutes off the bench. Waki, 23, had a consistently solid effort throughout the game. After making 3 of 8 shots and scoring seven points in Game 1, he was a more active presence on offense in the rematch. Waki was 6-for-9 from the floor on Sunday. "I am happy that everyone was focused and energetic from the start of the game," Waki said, referring to his team. Looking back on Ryukyu's poise in the fourth quarter, Waki said he was pleased to give his team a spark. He broke a 72-all tie with a spinning layup with 4:27 remaining. "When the score was tied, I was playing strong because I like to make big shots," Waki told reporters. "I am happy that I was able to change the game." DJ Newbill led the Brex with 21 points. ( Newbill set the tone for the Brex with 15 of his 21 points in the first half. Utsunomiya had two additional double-digit scorers: Grant Jerrett (14 points) and Gavin Edwards (11). Yusuke Endo and Makoto Hiejima finished with nine and eight, respectively. Utsunomiya coach Zico Coronel acknowledged after the game that Ryukyu's overall edge in rebounding was a key factor. He also credited the Golden Kings for pressuring the ball, which contributed to the Brex's assist total dropping from 24 in Game 1 to 17 the next day. Utsunomiya guard Makoto Hiejima ( Utsunomiya, which had a league-best 48-12 regular-season record, trailed by the slimmest of margins at the end of the first quarter, 21-20. Fueled by a 15-0 run to pull ahead 37-23 on an Ogawa 3-pointer at the 4:09 mark, the Brex grabbed momentum in the second quarter. And they took a 43-35 lead into halftime. But the Golden Kings closed out the half on a positive note: Arakawa's 3 with 2 seconds remaining. That trimmed the lead to single digits. It was Arakawa's first basket of the game. Ryukyu's Vic Law shoots a 3-pointer in the second half. ( On the first possession of the third quarter, Law began to ignite the Golden Kings after he had a quiet first half (1-for-6, two points). It started with a 3-pointer from the left corner. That shot pulled Ryukyu within 43-38, signaling his team was prepared for a metaphorical 12-round heavyweight title bout. An Endo catch-and-shoot 3 put the Brex ahead 46-38 and a Jerrett driving layup extended the advantage to 48-38 at the 8:33 mark. Did this mean Utsunomiya was on the verge of pulling away? No. Onodera made a nifty reverse layup, followed by a Cooley layup courtesy of a Waki assist with 7:43 to play. And then Yoshiyuki Matsuwaki nailed a 3 for the Golden Kings, who pulled within 48-45. The game was still up for grabs. Utsunomiya twice took six-point leads in the next few minutes, but Ryukyu kept responding with timely baskets, too. Law leveled the score at 57-57 on a highlight reel dunk from the baseline. Waki tied it at 59-all on a driving layup. And Aluma made it 61-61 on a pair of free throws. With 43 seconds left in the third, Hiejima canned a 3 from the right corner to put his team in front by three. Golden Kings backup guard Tatsuya Ito countered with a left-handed layup, shooting the ball high off the glass and into the net. His only points of the game, scored with 4 seconds remaining in the third, pulled his team within 64-63. The play fired up his teammates as they took a short break before the fourth quarter began. Ryukyu's Hayate Arakawa shoots a 3-pointer in the fourth quarter. ( For the Brex, Coach Coronel said getting ready for the series finale is paramount. "I think it's very self-explanatory. Game 3 determines everything," he told a news conference. "So, of course, [whoever] brings the best effort, the best focus and the best execution, makes big plays, then they will be the champion." Finals: Utsunomiya Outplays Ryukyu in Game 1 Author: Ed Odeven Find Ed on JAPAN Forward' s dedicated website, SportsLook . Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven .
Japan Forward
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Japan Forward
B.League Playoffs Get Underway with a Slew of Games
Reporting on the playoffs, Mai Yamamoto's exit from the WNBA, Jiyai Shin's latest golf title and boxer Kazuto Ioka's rematch against Fernando Martinez. Ryukyu Golden Kings shooting guard Masahiro Waki runs the offense as Shota Tsuyama of the Shimane Susanoo Magic defends in Game 2 of a quarterfinal series on May 10, 2025, at Okinawa Arena. (© Four teams remain in the hunt for the 2024-25 title. Over the weekend of May 9-11, the Japan men's pro basketball circuit staged a quartet of best-of-three quarterfinal series, and the Ryukyu Golden Kings, Chiba Jets, San-en NeoPhoenix, and Utsunomiya Brex punched their tickets to the semifinals. The semifinal pairings are San-en (47-12 in the regular season) vs Ryukyu (46-14) and Utsunomiya (48-12) vs Chiba (42-18). Head coach Trevor Gleeson's Jets have won 11 straight games ― in the regular season and playoffs. Semifinal matches are scheduled for May 17-19. Ryukyu was the first team to advance to the Final Four ― its series against the Shimane Susanoo Magic began a day earlier than the other quarterfinals showdowns ― on Saturday, May 10. The Golden Kings' Vic Law shoots a jumper in Game 2 on May 10. ( The Golden Kings opened the series with a 79-71 triumph on Friday at Okinawa Arena. Vic Law scored a team-high 15 points. A day later, Ryukyu outscored Shimane 20-5 in the third quarter and pulled away for an 88-70 win. Law, a Northwestern University alum, was the high scorer (26 points) once again. Teammates Keve Aluma and Alex Kirk poured in 19 and 18 points, respectively, and Masahiro Waki finished with nine. San-en NeoPhoenix big man Yante Maten shoots a layup against the Gunma Crane Thunders in the fourth quarter on May 11 in Hamamatsu. ( After escaping with a narrow victory (83-80) over the visiting Gunma Crane Thunders on Saturday, May 10, the NeoPhoenix completed the series sweep with a 93-84 triumph the next day. San-en led 50-32 at halftime in Game 2, but the pesky Crane Thunders whittled away at the lead in Hamamatsu. Former NBA shooting guard/small forward David Nwaba led the NeoPhoenix with 26 points on 8-for-11 shooting from the field in the series-clinching win. Four teammates also reached double digits in points, including Ryusei Sasaki and Hirotaka Yoshii with 16 apiece. Utsunomiya Brex guard Yusuke Endo in action against SeaHorses Mikawa forward Jake Layman on May 11 in Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture. ( Elsewhere, Eastern Conference champion Utsunomiya prevailed 93-81 over the SeaHorses Mikawa in the series opener and recorded an 89-75 victory the next day. In Game 2, Makoto Hiejima led the Brex's balanced offensive attack with 18 points and made three steals. Chiba Jets star Yuki Togashi shoots a 3-pointer as Alvark Tokyo forward Ryan Rossiter defends on May 11 at Ariake Coliseum. ( In Game 1 of the Alvark-Jets series on Saturday at Ariake Coliseum, Tokyo faced a 23-8 deficit at the end of the first quarter. The Alvark's nightmare, including 18-for-70 shooting, led to a 78-53 defeat. Chiba jumped out to a 22-14 advantage by the end of the first quarter in the rematch and gradually pulled away, winning 92-65. Star guard Yuki Togashi scored 16 of his 18 points in the second quarter, igniting the Jets with five 3-pointers on five attempts in an electrifying performance in the 10-minute stanza. Teammate Christopher Smith had a game-high 20 points. The Alvark, who won both regular-season meetings with the Jets by a combined eights points, trailed 50-28 at the half. Game 2 was another atrocious shooting performance for Tokyo (20-for-68 from the field). "I think that all five [Chiba] players on the court yesterday and today were able to do what the team had prepared for the entire 80 minutes," Togashi told reporters on Sunday. "And in these two matches, all of our players really got into a rhythm from defense in order not to bring out the best in our opponent." Playoffs Tip Off with Compelling Matchups in the Quarterfinals Mai Yamamoto (KYODO) The Dallas Wings cut two players, including Japanese guard Mai Yamamoto, on Sunday, May 11. WNBA teams are required to pare their rosters down to 12 players before May 15, one day before the league's 29th season tips off. Yamamoto, 25, appeared in two preseason games for the Wings. The Hiroshima Prefecture native began her pro career with the WJBL's Toyota Antelopes in 2017. Yamamoto was Japan's leading scorer (17.0 points per game) at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Jiyai Shin holds mementos for the winner after capturing the the World Ladies Championship Salonpas Cup in a playoff on May 11 in Tsukubamirai, Ibaraki Prefecture. (KYODO) Jiyai Shin won the World Ladies Championship Salonpas Cup on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff on Sunday, May 11 at the Ibaraki Golf Club. The South Korean made a birdie putt on the par-5 18th hole to secure the victory, her 29th JLPGA Tour title. In her successful career in Japan, Shin has won five majors, including the Salonpas Cup for the first time in 2018. Shin had a four-round total of 7-under 281. She shot a 1-over 73 in Sunday's fourth round in Tsukubamirai, Ibaraki Prefecture. Runner-up Saiki Fujita carded a 3-over 75 in the final round but also cobbled together a 281 to ensure a playoff. Fujita made par on the playoff hole and had to settle for second. Rumi Yoshiba finished third at 6-under 283, followed by Min Young Lee (283) and Mi Jeong Jeon a further shot back. [ODDS and EVENS] Saiki Fujita Makes JLPGA History with Her 7th Hole-in-One Kazuto Ioka (left) and Fernando Martinez trade punches in the 10th round of their WBA super flyweight title match on May 11 at Tokyo's Ota City General Gymnasium. (©SANKEI) Challenger Kazuto Ioka dropped WBA super flyweight champion Fernando Martinez to the canvas with a well-executed left hook in the 10th round of their title rematch on Sunday, May 11. Martinez (18-0, nine knockouts) got back up and stood tall in the eyes of the ringside judges at Ota City General Gymnasium for his overall performance in the 12-round match. Ioka lost on points (114-113, 115-112 and 117-110) on the three scorecards. As a result, Ioka, who turned 36 on March 24, fell short of his goal of becoming the oldest Japanese man to capture a boxing world title. In September 2016, Hozumi Hasegawa set the record (35 years, 9 months), winning the WBC super bantamweight title. "I hope I can continue to do something meaningful with this record at stake in my next match," Ioka said, according to Nikkan Sports . Ioka slipped to 31-4-1 (16 KOs). The Martinez-Ioka bout was originally penciled in for December 31, 2024, but it was rescheduled when Martinez caught the flu. Martinez, an Argentine, also outpointed Ioka in their 12-round showdown on July 7, 2024, at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo. The Central League's Hanshin Tigers and the Pacific League's Hokkaido Nipponham Fighters are tied for Nippon Professional Baseball's best record (20-14-1) through Sunday, May 11. Author: Ed Odeven Find Ed on JAPAN Forward' s dedicated website, SportsLook . Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven .
