What Happened

Longtime B.LEAGUE rivals Alvark Tokyo and Ryukyu Golden Kings brought their domestic rivalry to the international stage in the EASL Finals Battle for Third on Sunday, March 22 — and they delivered a classic.

The first half was tight throughout. Alvark led 21-19 after the first quarter before Ryukyu flipped it to take a 38-32 halftime advantage. It was a battle of the bigs from the opening tip, with Sebastian Saiz and Alex Kirk — former Tokyo teammates as recently as the 2023-24 season — the only two players in double figures at the break with 13 and 11 points respectively.

The third quarter brought more of the same. Alvark clawed back to within 44-43 early in the period and the two sides traded baskets throughout. Brandon Davies, making his EASL debut after a season disrupted by injury, was the standout in the third with 14 points and relentless drives to the basket. But Jack Cooley matched Kirk's 13 points from the frontcourt, and Ryukyu held a 54-52 lead heading into the fourth. Despite Davies' presence, Ryukyu's size was beginning to tell — the Golden Kings led the paint scoring 24-18 after three periods.

Alvark looked in control through the fourth quarter, and with 1:18 remaining a Kai Toews drive and dump-off found Saiz for an easy bucket to make it 76-73. Tokyo were in the driver's seat. 

Then it all changed. Up 76-75 with 21 seconds left and possession, Alvark broke a Ryukyu full-court press and Saiz found himself with an open layup that would have sealed it — and missed. Ryukyu pushed the other way, Ryo Sadohara received the ball and converted a go-ahead layup, and the Golden Kings had their win.

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What It Means

For Ryukyu, this was a long time coming. One of just three teams to have played in all three EASL seasons and one of two to reach back-to-back postseasons, the Golden Kings carried an 0-3 EASL playoff record into Sunday's game before finally putting it to rest in the most dramatic fashion. They leave Macau with US$375,000, third place, and the distinction of being the first B.LEAGUE team to finish third in EASL history.

Wiith the B.LEAGUE regular season wrapping up in early May, a confidence-boosting win over a fellow domestic rival could not have come at a better time for the Golden Kings 

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Player of the Game: Jack Cooley

Jack Cooley chose the biggest stage to etch his name further into EASL history. The longest-serving import in the league having played in all three seasons dating back to the inaugural 2023-24 campaign, Cooley reached the 200-rebound milestone early in the game — becoming the first player ever to do so — and barely broke stride. He finished with 20 points, 8 rebounds, and a game-high plus/minus of plus-23, shooting 70% from the field in 33 minutes. His game-high 4 offensive rebounds were central to Ryukyu's 32-28 edge in points in the paint, giving the Golden Kings the physical advantage that ultimately proved decisive.

Cooley stands alone as the greatest rebounder EASL has ever seen, and on Sunday — in Ryukyu’s Third-Place Game victory — he proved there is still plenty more to add to that legacy.

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Super Statistic: 21

The 21 lead changes in a 77-76 Ryukyu win were the most of any game across the entire EASL Finals. No team ever led by more than single digits. The biggest scoring run was just 10 points. The game was tied seven times.

Ryukyu held the lead for 23:42 compared to Alvark's 12:57 — yet it still came down to a single point. Both teams combined for just 18 turnovers across 40 minutes. By every measure, this was the most competitive game of the postseason — and it produced a finish to match.