What Happened

The Utsunomiya Brex defeated the Ryukyu Golden Kings 103-96 to advance to the EASL Championship Game in a game that had no business being as dramatic as it was.

The Golden Kings controlled large portions of the contest, taking an early lead after the first quarter before the Brex edged ahead by halftime. Ryukyu's frontcourt then took over in the third, pushing the No. 2 overall seed to a 71-63 lead heading into the final period. With five minutes remaining, the Golden Kings still led 83-77. With four minutes left, it was 87-80. The game looked done.

Then, Utsunomiya went on a 26-13 run to close it out.

It started with a Makoto Hiejima three. Then a D.J. Newbill three-point play. Suddenly it was 87-86. After another empty Ryukyu possession, Newbill stepped back and canned a go-ahead three over the outstretched arm of Jack Cooley to put the Brex up 89-87. From there, Utsunomiya's defense held firm, Newbill hit the clinching free throws, and the ball landed in his hands one final time as the buzzer sounded.

For Ryukyu, Alex Kirk finished with 23 points and Jack Cooley added 21, with the two combining for 21 rebounds. It was a strong effort that ultimately wasn't enough. On the Brex side, Grant Jerrett was equally brilliant alongside Newbill, finishing with 29 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and two blocks.

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What It Means

The Utsunomiya Brex are in the EASL Championship Game. In their debut EASL season, they have a chance to become the third straight B.LEAGUE team to win the title, following the Chiba Jets and Hiroshima Dragonflies. Standing in their way is the P.LEAGUE+'s Taoyuan Pauian Pilots on Sunday, March 22.

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Player of the Game: D.J. Newbill

When Utsunomiya needed their player most, Newbill delivered. The two-time B.LEAGUE MVP finished with a game-high 29 points and was the central figure in every key moment down the stretch. It was his three that gave the Brex the lead. It was his pressure that forced a crucial five-second inbound violation to take back possession. It was his free throws that sealed it. And it was his hands the ball found as time expired.

All of this despite Utsunomiya losing the points in the paint battle 58-24 and the bench points battle 35-15. When the game was on the line, Newbill was simply unfazed.

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Super Statistic: 15

Newbill's 15 assists across two EASL Finals games is the most ever recorded in a two-game postseason stretch in league history. It is a number that speaks to what makes him so difficult to contain — a score-first guard who can also dissect a defense and find the open man at the highest level. He finished second among all EASL Finals players in assists per game at 7.5, and third across the entire field at 6.8 during the regular season.

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Next Up

The Utsunomiya Brex take on the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots at 18:00 on Sunday, March 22 for the 2026 EASL Championship.