UTSUNOMIYA, Japan – San Miguel dropped a 96-68 loss to Japan B.League side Ryukyu Golden Kings on Thursday at the Nikkan Arena as PBA teams continued to struggle in their 2023 EASL Champions Week campaign.
The Beermen simply couldn’t keep up with a red-hot Golden Kings side that saw five players in double figures led by former PBA import Allen Durham, who had 13 points and 16 rebounds in the lopsided Group A match.
READ: Fajardo leaves EASL game after injury scare
San Miguel was also left without June Mar Fajardo after the big man suffered a knee injury just 21 seconds after coming off the bench.
Fajardo, who was coming off his stint with Gilas Pilipinas in Window 6 of the Fiba Basketball World Cup Asian qualifiers, hurt his knee in a collision with Ryukyu import Jack Cooley in the second quarter and never returned.
Cameron Clark carried the load with 25 points while CJ Perez was the lone local double-digit scorer with 12 for San Miguel, which suffered the same fate as fellow PBA ballclub TNT Tropang GIGA.
The Tropang GIGA lost by 33 points to the reigning Japan B.League champion Utsunomiya Brex on Wednesday in Group B.
Cooley added 18 points and 16 rebounds for the Golden Kings in the 28-point victory, while Keita Imamura had 17 points including three triples.
New Ryukyu signee Carl Tamayo finished with four points in seven minutes of play before his much-awaited Japan B.League debut against Kai Sotto and the Hiroshima Dragonflies when Japan's domestic league resumes after the EASL.
The scores:
Ryukyu Golden Kings 96 – Imamura 20, Cooley 20, Kishimito 14, Durham 13, Onodera 11, Matsuwaki 5, Watanabe 4, Tamayo 4, Tashiro 3, Flippin 2, Maki 0.
San Miguel 68 – Clark 25, Perez 12, Govan 7, Enciso 6, Tautuaa 5, Lassiter 4, Cruz 4, Brondial 4, Manuel 1, Fajardo 0, Ross 0.
Quarters: 24-17; 49-28; 70-48; 96-68.
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