Where: Ninoy Aquino Stadium

When: Wednesday, January 21, 7:30 P.M. PHT

Team Records: Macau Black Bears (0-5) / Ryukyu Golden Kings (2-1) 

Where to Watch: Ticket Information / Broadcast Information 

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PROJECTED STARTERS 

Macau Black Bears 

PG: Ye Runfeng — N/A

SG: Phoenix Shackelford — 190cm / 86kg

SF: Omari Peek-Green  — 198cm / 99kg 

PF: Guo Yuchen — N/A 

C: Samuel Deguara — 230cm / 130kg 

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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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‍TEAM STATISTIC LEADERS 

Macau Black Bears

Points: Omari Peek-Green — 20.4 

Rebounds: Samuel Deguara — 9.3 

Assists: Phoenix Shackelford — 2.6 

Steals: Phoenix Shackelford — 2.0 (T-3 in EASL) 

Blocks: Samuel Deguara — 1.3 

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Ryukyu Golden Kings

Points: Ryuichi Kishimoto — 17.3 

Rebounds: Jack Cooley — 14.7 

Assists: Ryuichi Kishimoto — 4.7 

Steals: Ryuichi Kishimoto — 2.0 (T-3 in EASL) 

Blocks: Jack Cooley — 0.7 

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THE RUNDOWN 

The Ryukyu Golden Kings and Macau Black Bears are set to meet for their third all-time matchup on January 21 in Manila, with tip-off at 7:40 p.m. local time at Ninoy Aquino Stadium. Ryukyu currently leads the series 2-0.

Macau comes in at 0-5 and is desperate to grab its first win in its final game of the season, while Ryukyu is looking to move to 3-1 and further solidify its spot in second place. The stakes go beyond just these two teams, too. If Macau pulls off an upset victory, it would be their first-ever win against a B.LEAGUE team, and it would also immediately send the Taoyuan Pilots into the EASL postseason as the first team to qualify in 2025-26.

These teams already met earlier this season on December 17, 2025, in Okinawa, where Ryukyu won 87-81 behind 19 points from Ryo Sadohara. It stayed tight throughout before the Golden Kings finally pulled away in the second half, backed by balanced scoring with four other players finishing in double figures. 

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THE BLACK BEARS 

The Macau Black Bears are set to play their final EASL game of the season, closing the book on their second campaign in the league. They enter at 3-8 all-time in EASL play and will be looking for a breakthrough on January 21 in the Philippines against the Ryukyu Golden Kings, a team they have never beaten.

As always, the focal point is 7-foot-6 center Samuel Deguara, a matchup that demands constant attention from opposing defenses. Macau also brings real scoring punch with Omari Peek Green, the team’s leading scorer at 20.4 points per game, along with Ye Runfeng, a confident score-first guard. With multiple weapons in rhythm, it sets up an intriguing clash against Ryukyu’s experienced core.

The stakes are real for Macau. A loss would see the Black Bears finish 0-6, which would mark just the second winless season in EASL history, following San Miguel Beermen in 2024-25.

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THE GOLDEN KINGS  

The Ryukyu Golden Kings enter this game with a chance to take another step toward a second straight EASL postseason, after becoming the league’s first team to qualify in 2024-25.

They are 2-1 this season, and while they have yet to post a truly dominant win, they have consistently delivered in winning time. Their two victories have come by an average margin of 7.5 points, a steady sign of a team that knows how to close when it matters.

There’s also history within reach. Two Golden Kings are nearing 200 career EASL points. Ryuichi Kishimoto needs just six to get there, while Jack Cooley needs 19. If Kishimoto reaches the mark first, he would become the first B.LEAGUE player to score 200 points in EASL. If Cooley gets there, he would add to his resume as a member of the 200-point, 100-rebound club.

And zooming out, Ryukyu’s standard is already well established. Over the last half decade, they have been one of Asia’s premier teams, reaching four straight B.LEAGUE Finals. January 21 is another chance to keep building toward what they are still chasing: the top of EASL, and the title of Asia’s best.

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SPOTLIGHT STORYLINE 

PILOTS ROOTING FOR BLACK BEARS
Come January 21, the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots will probably be… Macau Black Bears fans.

Why? Because if Macau beats the Ryukyu Golden Kings, Taoyuan automatically clinches a postseason. Here’s the math.

Taoyuan is 4-1 with one game left, so even if they lose their final game (February 4 at Ryukyu), they finish 4-2. If Ryukyu loses to Macau, Ryukyu drops to 2-2 with two games left, meaning the best they can finish is also 4-2. So Ryukyu can no longer pass Taoyuan, only tie them. And if they tie, Taoyuan already owns a hefty edge after beating Ryukyu 94-80 at EASL Tip Off on October 8. 

Now, factor in Meralco. The Bolts are 3-2 with one game left, so their best possible finish is also 4-2. But in the head-to-head series, Taoyuan has the advantage on point differential, winning 82-72 on Nov. 2, 2025, while Meralco won 85-76 on Nov. 8, 2025. That means if they finish tied on record, Taoyuan wins the tiebreak over Meralco too.

So if Macau beats Ryukyu, neither Ryukyu nor Meralco can finish above Taoyuan, which locks Taoyuan into the Group B top two and clinches an EASL postseason spot in March.