Ryukyu needs one more win to be the second team to repeat as B1 champions after Tokyo in 2018 and 2019.
The Golden Kings are closing in on a historic B.LEAGUE B1 title.
Ryukyu shined in Game 1 of the Nippon Life Insurance B. LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP 2023-24 Saturday at the Yokohama Arena, dominating a fresh challenger in the Hiroshima Dragonflies for a 74-62 win.
Using a telling run in the second quarter, Ryukyu led by as many as 24 points for a rousing start to the team’s third-straight B1 Finals appearance, which is a B.League record.
Still, the Dragonflies didn’t go away easy. Hiroshima managed to cut the deficit to eight points in the fourth behind Tshilidzi Kawata and Kerry Blackshear Jr.
But with Ryukyu needing to close, the champs went to their stars.
Keita Imamura hit a three to restore a double-digit lead for the Golden Kings with 2:28 to go. Ryuichi Kishimoto then added another two treys to make it 74-61 Ryukyu with 58 seconds left.
The two gunners ultimately led the Ryukyu attack, with Imamura finishing with 15 points all from three-pointers, looking fit again after suffering an injury in the round 1 series against Alvark Tokyo.
Ryuichi Kishimoto adds to his Ryukyu playoff legacy with the dagger threes to seal Game 1 of the 2024 B1 Finals
Kishimoto, the no. 5 playoff scorer in B1 history, added 14 points on four triples.
Meanwhile, former three-time PBA Best Import Allen Durham had another strong all-around game, going for 12 points, four rebounds, and eight assists.
Allen Durham has 23 assists in his last three playoff games for Ryukyu
Up 1-0 in the Finals, Ryukyu needs one more win to be the second team to repeat as B1 champions after Tokyo in 2018 and 2019.
For the Dragonflies, who were making their Finals debut as a franchise, it was Blackshear Jr. that led the way with 15 points. However, Hiroshima only got seven points from star forward Dwayne Evans.
Game 2 is set for Sunday back at the Yokohama Arena.