What Happened

The Ryukyu Golden Kings took care of business at Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila, rolling past the Macau Black Bears 102–79 in a neutral-site matchup.

The win was Ryukyu’s third straight and lifted them to 3-1 in Group B, while Macau closed its EASL season at 0-6. It was also Ryukyu’s best offensive showing of the campaign, as the Golden Kings cracked the 100-point mark for the first time this season after not even reaching 90 in any of their previous games.

Jack Cooley and Alex Kirk powered the performance, combining for 50 points with 25 apiece while shooting better than 70% from the field. Cooley added nine rebounds and Kirk grabbed eight, anchoring Ryukyu on both ends. Ryukyu also got additional scoring support from three other players in double figures, including Damyean Dotson in his EASL debut, along with Ryuichi Kishimoto and Masahiro Waki. For Macau, Ye Run Feng led the way with 23 points. 

Another major storyline was the milestone night for Cooley and Kishimoto, as both reached 200 career EASL points, with Cooley getting there first and becoming the first B.LEAGUE player to hit the 200-point mark in league history.

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What It Means

For Macau, the loss confirmed a difficult end to their 2025–26 regular season. Finishing 0–6, the Black Bears become just the second team in EASL history to complete a winless regular season, following the San Miguel Beermen, who went 0–6 during the 2024–25 campaign.

For Ryukyu, the victory moved them to 3-1 and kept them in second place in Group B, trailing only the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots. Fittingly, those two teams will meet next in Ryukyu’s upcoming EASL game, marking the second and final meeting of the regular season. Taoyuan currently holds the edge in the season series after defeating the Golden Kings 94–80 on October 8 at EASL Tip-Off 2025 in Taipei.

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Player of the Game: Alex Kirk

In his third EASL season, Alex Kirk earned his first-ever Player of the Game honor after powering Ryukyu past the Macau Black Bears with 25 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists. Kirk was ultra-efficient, shooting 70.6% from the field on 12-for-17 shooting, all coming on two-point attempts. He also grabbed four offensive rebounds, repeatedly cleaning up possessions with putbacks that turned Ryukyu misses into easy points at the rim.

It was not just his finishing that stood out. Kirk’s mid-range touch was dialed in as well. He consistently found space out of pick-and-roll actions, spinning into open pockets or popping into short jumpers, and that steady diet of mid-range makes kept Macau’s defense off balance throughout the night.

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Super Statistic: 32

Ryukyu’s passing was on another level in this one. The Golden Kings finished with a season-high 32 assists against the Macau Black Bears, and that ball movement helped produce five players in double figures. The closest they had come to that number earlier this season was 24 assists, which also came in a win over Macau on December 17.

They were especially sharp when Macau tried to change things up defensively. When the Black Bears went into trap zones like a 1–3–1 or pressed in the backcourt, Ryukyu stayed calm, moved the ball quickly, and found Jack Cooley or Alex Kirk for easy finishes. They also swung the ball well around the perimeter and leaned on drive-and-kick action to create open shots throughout the game.

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Next Up 

Macau’s 2025–26 regular season is officially over, and they are now mathematically eliminated from postseason contention. Ryukyu, meanwhile, next faces the Taoyuan Pilots on February 4 with the top spot in Group B still potentially in play, but the Golden Kings will need a win of 15 points or more to flip the head-to-head margin after losing the first meeting 94–80.