Where: Okinawa Arena

When: Wednesday, February 4, 7:30 P.M. / 7:40 P.M. (On-air / Tip-off) JST

Team Records: Ryukyu Golden Kings (3-1) / Taoyuan Pauian Pilots (4-1) 

Where to Watch: Ticket Information / Broadcast Information  

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‍PROJECTED STARTERS 

Ryukyu Golden Kings

PG: Ryuichi Kishimoto — 176cm / 75kg

SG: Yoshiyuki Matsuwaki — 185cm / 90kg 

SF: Shota Onodera — 182cm / 82kg

PF: Vic Law — 201cm / 94kg 

C: Jack Cooley — 206cm / 115kg

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Taoyuan Pauian Pilots

PG: Pai Yao-Cheng — 182cm / 77kg

SG: Lu Chun-Hsiang — 188cm / 82kg

SF: Treveon Graham — 198cm / 100kg

PF: Will Artino — 210cm / 111kg

C: Alec Brown — 216cm / 107kg

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‍TEAM STATISTIC LEADERS 

Ryukyu Golden Kings

Points: Ryuichi Kishimoto, Alex Kirk — 16.0 

Rebounds: Jack Cooley — 13.3 (2nd in EASL)

Assists: Ryuichi Kishimoto — 5.0 

Steals: Ryuichi Kishimoto — 1.8 

Blocks: Jack Cooley — 1.0 

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Taoyuan Pauian Pilots 

Points: Alec Brown — 20.8 

Rebounds: Will Artino — 10.6 

Assists: Pai Yao-Cheng — 4.2

Steals: Will Artino — 1.4 

Blocks: Alec Brown — 1.8 (3rd in EASL) 

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THE RUNDOWN 

Ryukyu and Taoyuan is a powerhouse Group B matchup, with major postseason implications on the line. On Wednesday, the Pilots can complete the season sweep and clinch an EASL Finals berth, becoming the first team out of Group B to punch its ticket and securing a second straight trip to the postseason.

The last time these two met was opening day at EASL Tip-Off Taipei on October 8, when Taoyuan pulled away for a 94-80 win. Lu Chun-Hsiang led the Pilots with 24 points, Setric Millner added 20 in his EASL debut, and Vic Law paced Ryukyu with a game-high 29.

Since then, both teams have remained among the league’s most consistent sides. Taoyuan’s only blemish came on the road against the Meralco Bolts, while Ryukyu has answered their lone loss with a three-game win streak, taking two against the Macau Black Bears and one against Meralco.

For Taoyuan, it is simple. A win sends the Pilots to the EASL Finals and locks in their best-ever EASL record at 5-1 after finishing 4-2 last season. For Ryukyu, it is a chance to finally flip the script. The Golden Kings are 0-2 all-time against Taoyuan, including a 71-64 loss at the EASL Final Four 2025, setting the stage for a high-stakes showdown in Okinawa.

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THE GOLDEN KINGS

The Ryukyu Golden Kings enter Wednesday looking every bit like a team hitting its stride. They have won three straight in EASL to climb to 3-1 in Group B, and they have backed that up domestically by moving up to fourth in the B.LEAGUE’s West Division.

The one thing still missing is a win over Taoyuan. The Golden Kings are 0-2 all-time against the Pilots, an unusual position for a club that has reached the B.LEAGUE Finals four straight years and is built around proven winners. With Ryuchi Kishimoto steering the backcourt and the towering frontcourt duo of Jack Cooley and Alex Kirk anchoring both ends, Ryukyu have the experience and the personnel to match anyone in the competition. They are also one of the league’s most established programs, now in their third EASL season and one of only three teams in the current 12-team field to have competed in each of the league’s three years.

If there is a deciding factor, it may be the setting. This is the first time Ryukyu will face Taoyuan in Okinawa, where the Golden Kings can lean on one of the best home environments in Asia. A packed house of more than 8,000 is expected on Wednesday night, and in a matchup where the talent is tightly matched, the Okinawa Arena atmosphere could be the difference that finally tips this series in Ryukyu’s favor.

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THE PILOTS 

Ever since the 2024-25 season and Taoyuan’s run to the Finals, where they finished runners-up, the Pilots have cemented themselves as one of Asia’s best.

They are the reigning P. LEAGUE+ champions and look ready to defend that title, going 11-1 through 12 games in dominant fashion. Now, they face what could be their toughest test yet in 2025-26.

Taoyuan handled Ryukyu comfortably at home, but this time the Pilots head on the road to Okinawa. A key storyline will be their import rotation: whether they lean again on Setric Millner as the second import, or continue with Treveon Graham, who rejoined midseason after missing the start of the campaign while recovering from a torn ACL.

And, as always, the spotlight lands on Lu Chun-Hsiang. The Night King has scored 48 total points across two meetings with the Golden Kings, and he will again be central to Taoyuan’s hopes. Can the Pilots move to 3-0 all-time against one of Asia’s premier clubs and punch their ticket to the EASL Finals?

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SPOTLIGHT STORYLINE

Can Pilots Soar To Finals In Enemy Territory? 

By now, the headline is clear. Win in Okinawa and Taoyuan are headed to the EASL Finals. But the ripple effects of a victory would go far beyond simply clinching a postseason berth.

For starters, it would be historic. No Chinese Taipei team has ever won on Japanese soil in EASL play, and Taoyuan would have the chance to become the first. It would also push the Pilots into rare territory against B.LEAGUE opposition. Both Taoyuan and New Taipei have already beaten Ryukyu twice, but no Chinese Taipei team has ever beaten a B.LEAGUE club three times, and Taoyuan could set that mark with a third straight win over the Golden Kings.

A win would also strengthen the league-wide picture for P. LEAGUE+. Taoyuan advancing would give the PLG a third consecutive EASL season with at least one team reaching the postseason, something that has never happened before. And for the Pilots themselves, it would be another defining step, as they would become only the second team to reach back-to-back EASL postseasons, joining New Taipei as the second Chinese Taipei team to do it.