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Golden Kings primed and ready for playoffsDate Posted: 2012-05-09 Okinawa’s 39-13 record won them the Western Conference title, and a respite from the first round hardwood battles, and also the right to take on the Lakestars in front of the home fans this Saturday and Sunday. Both games begin at 1 p.m. Golden Kings coach Dai Oketani reports everyone on his squad is healthy and eager to get back into action after the week off. Only eight teams remain in competition for the 2011-2012 Basketball league Title. The Golden Kings and the Osaka Evessa had the bye slots in the west, while the Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix and the Yokohama B-Corsairs also sat out first round action. Their opponents this weekend are all survivors of some hard fought opening round battles. The Kyoto Hannaryz, Shiga Lakestars, Akita Northern Happinets and Niigata Albirex BB all advanced, while the Shimane Susanoo Magic, Rizing Fukuoka, Sendai 89ers and Toyama Grouses headed home licking their wounds. The East semi-finals this weekend see the B-Corsairs playing host to the third-seeded Northern Happinets tonight and Friday at Yokohama Cultural Gymnasium. The two-time defending champion Phoenix are at home to face the Albirex BB on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. The other Western Conference semi-finals, the Osaka Evessa vs. the Kyoto Hannaryz, takes place in Osaka Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. The Akita Happinets worked hard to move forward to the semi-finals, losing a dramatic 79-77 game to the Sendai 89ers Saturday, then slamming the 89ers 72-38 Sunday afternoon, forcing a mini-game. The Happinets pulled it our 17-14. It was a more simple matter for the Albirex BB, who made easy work of the Toyama Grouses 94-73 on Saturday, then hanging on for an 84-82 win on Sunday. The Shiga Lakestars advanced easily, outdistancing rival Fukuoka Rizing 96-86 and 69-62 in its two-game series. The Kyoto Hannaryz, on the other hand, had to rely on a mini-game to pull out the series. The Hannaryz won handily over the Susanoo Magic in their first match-up, 82-72, but encountered fierce opposition in Sunday’s game, losing a squeaker 86-84. The tie-breaking mini-game wasn’t any easier, but the Hannaryz held on for the 24-23 win that sends them to this weekend’s action. |
   
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