What Happened

The Ryukyu Golden Kings defeated the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots 88-82 at Okinawa Arena to improve to 4-1 and move into first place in Group B.

Taoyuan, who entered with a 2-0 all-time edge in the series, came out firing behind star guard Lu Chun-Hsiang. Lu opened the game with 15 points on a perfect 5-for-5 from the field as the Pilots jumped out to a 22-7 lead. Ryukyu responded quickly, trimming the margin to 27-21 by the end of the first quarter.

From there, both teams traded runs. Lu continued to score, while Ryukyu’s frontcourt pairing of Jack Cooley and Alex Kirk kept the Golden Kings within striking distance. A Ryuichi Kishimoto buzzer-beating three closed the half and had Taoyuan still in front, 49-46.

The second half stayed tight, but Ryukyu never let the game get away again. Shota Onodera hit a left-corner three to tie it 66-66 late in the third, setting up a tense fourth quarter. After Taoyuan built a five-point cushion, Damyean Dotson answered with a right-corner three to make it 76-76. Ryukyu then went ahead 78-77 when Kirk threw down a two-handed dunk to put the Golden Kings up with just over six minutes remaining.

With the game on the line, Ryo Sadohara delivered, drilling two clutch threes, first from the right wing and then from the right corner, to stretch the lead to 86-79 and seal the result.

Taoyuan was led by Lu’s 32-point explosion, with Alec Brown adding 19 and Li Chia-Kang scoring 14. Ryukyu did not have a 20-point scorer, but six players reached double figures, marking the first time in the Golden Kings’ EASL history that they achieved that balance in a single game. 

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What It Means

This game at Okinawa Arena between two of Asia’s best was bizarre. There’s no other way around it.

Ryukyu won, but the result did not clinch the Golden Kings into the EASL Finals. Instead, the loss was enough to officially send Taoyuan to the EASL Finals in Macau this March.

Because of the league’s tiebreaker rules using point differential, it is now mathematically impossible for Taoyuan to finish lower than second in the group after the six-point defeat.

For a full breakdown of the scenario, please click HERE.

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Player of the Game: Ryuichi Kishimoto 

Ryuichi Kishimoto did not even start the game, but he still finished as one of the night’s most clutch performers. The Ryukyu point guard was inserted after a slow opening for the home side and immediately changed the tempo.

Kishimoto totaled 14 points and five assists, with 12 of his points coming from three-point range. He consistently pushed the pace, got into the paint, and created clean looks for teammates by kicking out to shooters.

It marked Kishimoto’s second Player of the Game honor of the 2025–26 EASL regular season after he received his first on December 17 in an 87-81 win over the Macau Black Bears. 

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Super Statistic: 45-25 

Ryukyu’s comeback from down 15 was powered by its bench, which exploded for 45 points and outscored Taoyuan’s reserves 45–25.

Two players set the tone at the start and the finish. Yoshiyuki Matsuwaki scored just eight, but they came in a rush when Ryukyu was down 22–7 with two deep threes and a late shot-clock fadeaway to help settle the game. Late, Ryo Sadohara delivered the knockout, drilling two clutch threes to push the Golden Kings ahead for good and secure their first-ever win over Taoyuan.

With Ryuichi Kishimoto coming off the bench and still earning Player of the Game honors, and captain Shota Onodera posting his best scoring night of the season, Ryukyu’s second unit clearly swung the result and fueled a fourth straight EASL win.

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Next Up

Taoyuan’s regular season is over, and the Pilots have officially qualified for the EASL Finals 2026 in Macau. It marks their second straight trip to the EASL postseason after finishing runners-up in 2024–25.

Ryukyu, meanwhile, still has work to do. The Golden Kings close the regular season against the Meralco Bolts on February 11, with a chance to clinch their own return to the EASL Finals 2026.