YOKOHAMA ―Trailing for nearly the entire game, the Nagasaki Velca pulled within one point (70-69) on a Jarrell Brantley 3-pointer with 2.5 seconds remaining in Game 1 of the B.League Finals.
The Ryukyu Golden Kings promptly called a timeout on Saturday afternoon, May 23.
On the next possession, Ryukyu big man Alex Kirk inbounded the ball to Ryuichi Kishimoto, and the veteran point guard was fouled by Velca swingman Hayato Yamaguchi.
Kishmoto went to the foul line with 0.8 seconds remaining. He sank the first shot, then missed the second. Teammate Jack Cooley grabbed the offensive rebound and missed a putback attempt at the final buzzer.
The Golden Kings defeated the Velca 71-69 at Yokohama Arena, moving within one win of their second B.League title.
“I believe our relentless, gritty play led to this victory,” said Kishimoto, who finished with 14 points. “However, we haven’t achieved anything yet. I think everyone understands just how important the next game is after a day like this. We won’t forget to be grateful for the opportunity to compete on this stage, and we’ll give it our all again tomorrow.”
Game 2 of the best-of-three series is on Sunday at 1:05 PM.
Ryukyu head coach Dai Oketani speaks in his on-court interview after Game 1. (©B.LEAGUE)
Comments from Oketani
Ryukyu coach Dai Oketani has led the Okinawan team to five consecutive B.League Finals.
After his club’s victory on Saturday, Oketani shared his thoughts on the hard-fought opener and the challenge that lies ahead for his team.
“First of all, I’m glad we were able to win Game 1,” Oketani said. “The players responded well to our preparations, and I think we were able to put good pressure on Nagasaki. That said, we need to address areas for improvement, such as our transition between offense and defense and minimizing turnovers.”
In Game 1, the Golden Kings committed 17 turnovers. (During the regular season, they averaged 10.9 per game.)
“I expect tomorrow’s game to be tough as well,” Oketani said. “It will be crucial for the team to come together and calmly execute on the court what we’ve built up so far. I believe the championship lies ahead if we continue to build on what we’ve done without rushing to win. That’s why we’ll keep focusing on the task at hand.”
Golden Kings point guard Ryuichi Kishimoto in action during the B.League Finals opener. (©B.LEAGUE)
Impressive Start for the Golden Kings
In the first quarter, eight Ryukyu players put points on the board.
Cooley, a former Notre Dame and NBA player, set the tone with six points, relying on his trademark low-post moves. He finished the game with a double-double (12 points and 13 rebounds along with four assists).
Yoshiyuki Matsuwaki scored the game’s first basket, a 3-pointer at the 8:31 mark, and a Kirk putback put the Golden Kings ahead 5-0.
Moments later, Kishimoto sank a 3 from the left side as Ryukyu took a 12-6 lead.
The Golden Kings jumped out to a 20-9 lead on a Damyean Dotson free throw ― the final scoring play of the period ― in the closing seconds of the opening stanza. It was their largest lead of the game.
Nagasaki, which led the B.League in scoring (91.2 points per game) this season, struggled on offense in the first quarter. Coach Mody Maor’s squad made only 2 of 15 shots from the floor, including 2 of 10 from 3-point range, with Yudai Baba making both 3s.
Korean swingman Hyunjung Lee was the league’s most accurate 3-pointer shooter during the regular season, making 47.9% of his long-range shots.
Facing tight defense, Lee was held scoreless in the first quarter. He was 0-for-3 from the field, including a pair of missed shots from beyond the arc.
After the game, Lee, who averaged 17.4 ponts per game this season, spoke about the confidence he has in his ability to make 3s.
“If I’m open, I am going to shoot it without sitiuation,” Lee told reporters.
Velca swingman Yudai Baba shoots a layup as Golden Kings guard Masahiro Waki defends. (©KYODO)
Nagasaki Rebounds From Slow Start
In the second quarter, the Velca, who had a B.League-best 47-13 record this season, outscored the Golden Kings 21-16.
Velca forward Stanley Johnson sank a long buzzer-beating 3 to end the half, pulling his team to within 36-30.
It was Johnson’s only 3-point bucket of the game. He attempted nine.
Heading into the third quarter, Ryukyu held a 27-14 edge in rebounds. Its inside muscle and size advantage, with a starting lineup that included 211-cm Kirk, 206-cm Cooley and 201-cm Law, were key factors in the game.
Cooley had 12 first-half points, tops among all scorers, and corralled six rebounds. Kishimoto added eight points.
For Nagasaki, Baba led the way with 10 points and also made three steals in the opening 20 minutes.
Velca star Hyunjung Lee shoots a 3-pointer. (©B.LEAGUE)
Nagasaki Takes 1st Lead in the 3rd Quarter
Law extended Ryuyu’s lead to 38-30 on a jumper in the paint for the first points of the second half.
Lee answered with a 3-pointer to make it 38-33.
Baba, who had a 16-point performance, converted a layup and made a free throw at the 8:20 mark.
And starting center Akil Mitchell’s powerful dunk pulled the Western Conference champions to within two points on their next possession.
Near the midway point of the third, Baba drained a 3-pointer and Nagasaki took its first lead (44-43) of Game 1.
But Ryukyu maintained its poise and made several big plays over the next few minutes.
Ryukyu’s Damyean Dotson attempts to score as Nagasaki’s Hyunjung Lee defends. (©KYODO)
Backup guard Damyean Dotson, who appeared in 213 NBA games in five seasons (2017-22), buried a catch-and-shoot 3 as the Golden Kings regained the lead.
Law followed with another 3 to make it 51-46. And a pair of Dotson free throws increased the advantage to 53-46.
Ryukyu led by eight with just over a minute to play in the third.
The Velca then showed their dynamic offensive skills on back-to-back possessions. Brantley knocked down a 3-pointer. Johnson converted a nifty stop-and-pop jumper, which accounted for the final points of the third quarter.
Ryukyu led 54-51 heading into the final period.
Nagasaki’s Jarrell Brantley past Ryukyu’s Alex Kirk. (©B.LEAGUE)
Brantley Sparks Velca Comeback
In the fourth quarter, Brantley scored 12 of his team-high 22 points. He made 5 of 7 shots in the last 10 minutes, including 2-for-2 from 3-point range.
With 8:03 remaining, Brantley’s 3-pointer evened the score at 56-56.
The Golden Kings took a 63-58 lead on a Dotson 3-ball.
Law made it 68-61 on a jumper in traffic with 3:30 to play. It was his final basket of the game, giving him a team-high 15 points, 12 of which he scored in the second half.
Brantley continued to put his stamp on the final period with back-to-back buckets for the Velca, trimming the lead to 68-65 with 1:12 left. A steal by Lee preceded the latter scoring play ― a terrific slam dunk.
In Game 1, Nagasaki had a poor performance at the free-throw line, which was magnified by 3-for-10 shooting in the second half.
With 50.2 seconds left, Johnson missed the first of two foul shots, then made the second attempt. Ryukyu led 68-66.
At the other end of the court, the Golden Kings’ Matsuwaki and Law missed shots, but Law and Kirk managed to keep the ball away from the Velca in crunch time by pulling down offensive rebounds.
Then, with 7 seconds left, Kishimoto was fouled. He drained two clutch free throws, pushing the lead to four.
Nagasaki called a timeout, and during the break in the action Ryukyu bench players embraced Kishimoto as he walked off the court.
After the timeout, Brantley swished the 3-pointer mentioned at the outset of this article.
And so it was a one-point game (70-69) with 2.5 seconds remaining.
Kishimoto, Cooley and their teammates didn’t give the Velca another chance to take a shot. And time ran out on Nagasaki’s comeback hopes.
Scoring Leaders
In addition to Brantley, Velca teammates Lee and Baba (16 points apiece) and Johnson (11 on 4-for-16 shooting) had double-digit scoring games.
For the Golden Kings, Kishimoto (14 points) joined Law, Cooley and Dotson (11) as the squad’s high scorers.
Golden Kings big man Jack Cooley (center) competes in Game 1 as the Velca’s Stanley Johnson (left) and a teammate try to force a turnover. (©B.LEAGUE)
Post-Game Comments
Speaking on the court after the game, Cooley acknowledged Game 2 won’t be a cakewalk.
“They are going to make adjustments; we need to make adjustments,” he said.
Cooley paid tribute to Ryukyu’s large throng of supporters.
“Thank you for bringing that fighting spirit,” he said. “I know you’ll bring it tomorrow.”
Law said, “The win feels great. It’s just one [win], though. We’ve got to take it one at a time.”
What was Law’s assessment of the Golden Kings’ performance?
“I feel we played good enough to win,” he said.
Lee underscored Nagasaki’s sense of urgency for Game 2 in the team’s post-game news conference.
“There’s no next week,” he said. “We need to win.”
If the Velca win Game 2, the series will be extended to a winner-take-all Game 3 on Tuesday, May 26.
Velca head coach Mody Maor (©B.LEAGUE)
Maor’s Perspective on Game 1
“Our offense was very soft in the first quarter,” Maor commented. “The pace was slow, we couldn’t set screens, and we simply couldn’t execute our offense. While the Ryukyu Golden Kings’ strength lies in their defense, we just couldn’t get our offense going from the start.
“I feel that the gap that opened up in the first quarter made it difficult to catch up,” he said. “Ultimately, we closed the gap to within one possession, so our execution in the second half was very good.”
What else did Maor say in his opening remarks before the gathered media?
“However, the fact that we gave up 21 offensive rebounds and missed our free throws — in the end, it was the small details that led to today’s result,” he told reporters. “Still, I firmly believe we can win tomorrow.”
B.League Finals Notes
Five Golden Kings players ― Koya Kobari, Dotson, Kishimoto, Matsuwaki and Shuto Sakihama ― celebrate their birthday in May. That’s 33% of the team’s roster.
An announced crowd of 12,978 attended Game 1.
Ryukyu outrebounded Nagasaki 50-33, including a 21-12 edge on the offensive glass. This contributed to a 16-10 advantage in second-chance points.
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Author: Ed Odeven
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