B.League Finals: Utsunomiya Outplays Ryukyu in Game 1

YOKOHAMA ― One of the maxims of contemporary basketball states that "you live by the 3-pointer and die by the 3-pointer." Although it's not always the primary reason for a win or a loss, the opening match of the B.League Finals showed how impactful the long-range shot can be.

The Utsunomiya Brex sank 16 3-pointers (out of 39 attempts), with seven different players knocking down shots from beyond the arc, in an 81-68 win over the Ryukyu Golden Kings on Saturday afternoon, May 24.

Reigning league MVP DJ Newbill, a Penn State alum, scored a game-high 25 points, including 4 of 10 on 3s, to spark the Brex. Backup point guard Atsuya Ogawa added 15 points to match his highest-scoring game from the regular season (on March 15 against the Nagasaki Velca), making 3 of 5 3s.

Between them, Newbill and Ogawa made more 3-pointers than the Golden Kings. (Teammate Grant Jerrett also knocked down three 3s to account for all of his points in the win.)

Utsunomiya, which had a league-best 48-12 record during the regular season, held Ryukyu to 6-for-23 on 3-point attempts.

That 30-point advantage on 3s was one of the key factors in the Brex's Game 1 triumph. Head coach Zico Coronel's team also played aggressive defense, and the Golden Kings didn't handle that pressure well at various times during the game.

Ryukyu, which made only 12 of 21 foul shots, committed 14 turnovers. The Brex outscored the Golden Kings 15-8 on points from turnovers before an announced crowd of 13,121.

Back to Work on Sunday

Game 2 of the best-of-three series is on Sunday at Yokohama Arena. Tipoff is 1:10 PM.

"It is regrettable that we allowed Utsunomiya to make so many 3-point shots," said Golden Kings shooting guard Yoshiyuki Matsuwaki, who had 11 points. "Offensively, we should have been a little more aggressive individually.

"This loss was a great experience for us. We will take advantage of this experience tomorrow."

B.League Finals Opener: Utsunomiya Pulls Away in the 2nd Half

The Golden Kings (46-14 in the regular season) trailed 41-35 entering the third quarter and never pulled ahead in the second half.

Newbill dominated in the third quarter, scoring 12 of his team's 18 points to ignite the Utsunomiya offense.

At the same time, Ryukyu had a woeful performance in the third, missing 11 of 15 shots from the floor.

The combination of Newbill's brilliance and the Golden Kings' scoring woes in the 10-minute period factored mightily in the Brex's commanding 59-45 lead heading into the final quarter.

With 7:03 remaining, Jerrett sank a 3 to give the Brex their largest lead of the game (70-53).

Ryukyu answered with a 10-3 spurt, cutting it to 73-63 on a Jack Cooley layup. Shogo Taira provided the assist at the 2:42 mark.

But that was as close as the Golden Kings would get.

Thwarting the Golden Kings' Comeback Attempt

Veteran guard Yusuke Endo, a member of the Brex's two B.League championship teams (2016-17, 2021-22), flushed a catch-and-shoot 3 from the right baseline to increase the lead to 76-63. The Golden Kings promptly called a timeout with 2 minutes remaining.

Utsunomiya maintained a sizable lead and dribbled out the clock on its final possession.

Moments later, Newbill, who had a game-high six assists, addressed the crowd.

"It was a great win," he said. "We've still got to win again tomorrow. The job's not finished."

Noting that it was a collective effort, Newbill commended his teammates for the energy they exerted in slowing down Ryukyu's offense, which averaged 85.5 points per game (No 2 in the B.League) in the regular season.

"Our defense really helped us out today," Newbill said before thousands of Brex fans applauded in the stands.

A Determined, Cohesive Effort

In addition to Newbill and Ogawa, Gavin Edwards also scored in double figures (15 points) and blocked two shots for Utsunomiya. Longtime teammates Endo and Makoto Hiejima added six and five points, respectively.

Hiejima, who averaged 13.2 points in the regular season, scored in single digits for the third straight playoff game. The floor leader, who dished out five assists, said Ogawa's productivity helped secure the win.

"Ogawa gives us momentum off the bench and is an indispensable player," Hiejima told a postgame news conference. "I think today's performance was normal for him."

Coronel was pleased with the Brex's effort, saying, "We played hard and we played together."

In May 2024, the Golden Kings beat the Hiroshima Dragonflies 74-62 in Game 1 of the B.League Finals, then lost the next two games.

Which is why Coronel reminded his players and the assembled crowd in Yokohama that the championship series isn't over yet.

"We didn't come here to win one game," Coronel proclaimed, standing on the court shortly after Game 1 ended. The New Zealander added, "We came here to win a series. Half the work is done."

Enthusiastic chants of "Zico" from the Brex's rabid supporters followed.

A B.League Team Impacted by Tragedy

Coronel, who began the season as an assistant coach, became acting head coach in January when Kevin Braswell was hospitalized in Tochigi Prefecture after suffering a heart attack. Braswell, 46, died several weeks later after undergoing heart surgery.

Led by Coronel, the players are unified in their quest to win the title as a lasting tribute to Braswell.

Hiejima reminded reporters about this after the game.

"We are fighting with a special feeling, so we hope to win tomorrow and make Kevin and Zico the best head coaches in Japan," Hiejima said.

Staying Aggressive Pays Off for Ogawa

In a back-and-forth first quarter, Ryukyu took an 11-6 lead near the midway point on a Cooley putback and free throw.

A flurry of 3-pointers followed.

On back-to-back possessions, Newbill connected on a pair of 3s to pull the Brex within two. Sandwiched between his opponent's baskets, Golden Kings star Vic Law drained a high-arching 3, with the trajectory of a rainbow.

Moments later, Jerrett sank a shot from beyond the arc and teammate Ogawa followed with another 3 to put the Brex in front 18-14 with 3:30 to play in the first half.

Ogawa was Utsunomiya's top scorer in the first half (11 points), followed by Newbill with 10.

Cooley paced Ryukyu with 14 points and nine rebounds (six offensive boards) before intermission, and Law had an 11-point first half.

Later in the game, the 190-cm Ogawa also showcased his dribble-drive moves on aggressive forays to the basket while scoring layups.

After finishing the afternoon with a 6-for-10 shooting performance in 19-plus minutes, Ogawa said his mindset paid off in Game 1.

"The points were the result of my aggressive play," the 22-year-old Niigata Prefecture native told reporters.

Ogawa also commented on his outside shooting and the decision on multiple occasions to attack the basket.

"I have been working on my 3-point shooting as it has been an issue for me," Ogawa said. "The team tells me to shoot it when it's open, so I try to shoot it when it's open."

He added: "I was able to see my driving lanes, so I am glad I was able to attack them. [And] I will continue to aim for that tomorrow."

Stat Leaders for the Golden Kings

Law averaged 16.0 points in the regular season. In six postseason games, he's increased his scoring average to 21.5, which includes 18 in Game 1 against the Brex.

Cooley, who joined the Golden Kings in 2019, is appearing in his fourth consecutive B.League Finals. He had 16 points and 11 rebounds for the perennial title contenders.

Alex Kirk and Masahiro Waki contributed seven points apiece. Kirk also had a game-high 12 rebounds.

Ryukyu coach Dai Oketani didn't rattle off a slew of statistics while speaking to reporters after the game. Instead, Oketani focused on what he considered a decisive factor in the outcome of the championship series opener.

"I feel that Utsunomiya No 7, Atsuya Ogawa, decided the game for us today," Oketani said. "It is difficult to defend all of Utsunomiya's attacks, which are among the best in the league. However, some attacks we wanted to prevent, we were able to correct our defense in the fourth quarter and successfully defended through them, which was a good thing."

Looking ahead to Sunday's rematch, Oketani said, "You never know what will happen in a game. We will do our best again tomorrow to maximize our chances of victory."

Did You Know?

In the teams' only regular season series, the Brex defeated the Golden Kings 105-86 on January 25 at Okinawa Arena. The next day in a rematch, Ryukyu bounced back with a 97-88 win.

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.