Ryukyu Golden Kings guard Yasufumi Takushi drained three 3-pointers in the final 18 seconds of Saturday's game in Kansai, but the Osaka Evessa survived the late-game drama, holding on for a 78-74 win.
The game, pitting the reigning bj-league champion Golden Kings against the three-time winners (2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08) from Osaka, was tied at 56-56 entering the final quarter.
David Palmer's 3-pointer gave the surging Evessa (18-15) a 70-61 lead with 6:03 to play. A pair of Ryan Blackwell free throws gave Osaka what appeared to be a seemingly insurmountable 78-65 lead with 30 seconds left.