Sports

Golden Kings Outlast Jets in Double Overtime in Game 1 of the B.League Finals

In a back-and-forth duel with Chiba, Ryukyu finished strong in the second overtime to move within one win of its first B.League Finals title.

Published

4 months ago

May 28, 2023

Ed Odeven

Ryukyu Golden Kings forward Allen Durham scored a team-best 26 points in Game 1 of the B.League Finals against the Chiba Jets on May 27 at Yokohama Arena. (B.LEAGUE)

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YOKOHAMA ― "One more" were the final words out of veteran forward Allen Durham's mouth during his on-court interview after Game 1 of the B.League Finals.

In the best-of-three championship series opener, the Ryukyu Golden Kings (Durham's team) defeated the Chiba Jets 96-93 in double overtime.

Game 2 is set to tip off at 1:10 PM on Sunday, May 28 at Yokohama Arena.

The Golden Kings, the B.League runners-up in the 2021-22 playoffs, moved within one game of completing their oft-stated goal this season before an enthusiastic crowd of 11,410.

"First of all, as per the game plan, we were able to keep the Chiba Jets' transition [offense] and 3-point shooting in check," Ryukyu coach Dai Oketani told reporters after the game. "On offense, sometimes the ball would stop moving [for us], but we were able to make better offensive choices to win.

"We got a lot of bench points and I think we were able to show the Kings' strengths," added Oketani, "so I would like to continue to do so tomorrow."

The Golden Kings' backups outscored the Jets' bench 45-4, including Durham's 26-point effort.

Jets Express Determination to Bounce Back in Game 2

Meanwhile, the Jets, who had a league-best 53-7 record in the regular season and never lost two games in a row, were left to rue how the game ended.

That said, the team's floor leader, veteran guard Yuki Togashi, who had a game-high 31 points and eight assists, insisted the Jets, who won the 2020-21 B.League title, are still in the fight.

"It's not over at all, and I'm still confident in this [team]," Togashi told reporters later.

Jets coach John Patrick echoed Togashi's confidence, noting the team advanced to the semifinals in mid-May after dropping Game 1 of the quarterfinals against the visiting Hiroshima Dragonflies, then winning the next two games.

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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 Twitter ＠ed_odeven.