In a possible preview of this season's bj-league championship game, the Ryukyu Golden Kings defeated the host Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix 86-80 on Saturday.
It was the first meeting of the season between the current conference leaders, and the Golden Kings' overall versatility played a pivotal role in the victory.
Shigeyuki Kinjo scored a team-high 24 points, while Jeff Newton (17 points, 10 rebounds), Chris Ayer (16 points, 12 boards) and Anthony McHenry (13 points, 10 boards) all posted double-doubles as Ryukyu improved to 32-9.