B.League Finals: Dragonflies Capitalize on Golden Kings' Mistakes in Game 2

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YOKOHAMA ― Facing elimination with another loss, the Hiroshima Dragonflies delivered a gutsy, determined performance against the reigning champion Ryukyu Golden Kings in Game 2 of the B.League Finals on Sunday, May 26 to keep their championship hopes alive. 

The final score: Hiroshima 72, Ryukyu 63.

It was a game in which a sizable majority of the fans (a boisterous crowd of 13,203) rooted for the Golden Kings to wrap up their second title in as many years.

Instead, the Dragonflies avenged their series-opening 74-62 loss at Yokohama Arena on Saturday, relying on a balanced scoring attack and an opportunistic defense that capitalized on the Golden Kings' miscues.

Game 3 of the B.League Finals is on Tuesday, May 28 at the same venue. Tipoff is 7:05 PM.

Hiroshima (36-24) snuck into the playoffs with a wild-card berth, and third-year head coach Kyle Milling's team has proven that it belongs in the postseason. It embraces an underdog mentality.

The Dragonflies swept the Central Conference champion San-en NeoPhoenix (46-14) in a two-game quarterfinal series before eliminating the Western Conference champion Nagoya Diamond Dolphins (41-19, same regular-season record as Ryukyu) in the playoff semifinals.

"I thought it was a tough game," Milling told reporters after Game 2, "[and] I think we were able to generate the same momentum we had in the second half of yesterday's game in the first half today.

"We got into a good rhythm right from the start and were able to stay in it for the entire 40 minutes with confidence."

Milling described it as "a great win" that boosts the team's confidence.

Most notably, Hiroshima's points from turnovers (24-6 edge) provided a defining trait for this game.

Lineup Switch Pays Off for the Dragonflies

In Game 2, veteran 208-cm big man Tshilidzi Kawata, a naturalized Japanese player, was inserted into Hiroshima's starting lineup. He came off the bench in Game 1. Milling opted to go with a bigger lineup in Game 2, with Kawata, 208-cm Kerry Blackshear Jr and 201-cm Dwayne Evans in the frontcourt. Shooting guard Isaiah Murphy, who started Game 1, played as a backup in this game.

The Dragonflies had better overall rhythm on offense and their defense was more cohesive than in Game 1.

Hiroshima took a 21-10 lead on a Murphy 3-pointer with 2:36 to play in the first quarter.

The Dragonflies, who trailed 24-16 at the end of the first quarter in Game 1, reversed the script in Game 2, taking a 21-14 advantage into the second period. Evans paced the scoring attack with six points in the opening period.

To their credit, the Golden Kings made a spirited comeback, dominating the second quarter. Ryukyu held Hiroshima to nine points in that span and scored 20. That put the Golden Kings ahead 34-30 at halftime.

Ryukyu's Vic Law was the lone double-digit scorer (10 points) for either team in the first half.

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Third-Quarter Highlights: Big Run Propels the Dragonflies

Early in the third quarter, the Golden Kings extended their lead to 11 on back-to-back baskets by Allen Durham on a tip-in and a layup. Milling promptly called a timeout after the latter basket put his team in a 43-32 hole at the 7:39 mark.

Hiroshima regrouped and transformed the nature of the game.

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RELATED:

• B.League Finals: Golden Kings Outplay Dragonflies in Game 1
• Ryukyu Golden Kings Looking to Become an East Asia Powerhouse
• B.League Playoffs: Golden Kings and Dragonflies Advance to the Finals

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.