Double-double's by Hsu "Birdie" Chih-chao (21 points and 10 rebounds) and Tien "Pretty Boy" Lei (20 points and 14 rebounds) led the way for the Dacin Tigers in another two-point thriller over the Sina Lions on Friday night to kick off weekend Super Basketball League (SBL) action.
The 79-77 final marked the third in the Tigers' past four contests where they managed to come out a deuce ahead of the opposition, making the big cats by far the league's top finisher in close games.
The win helped extend the Tigers' winning streak to three straight.
The Lions, after 13 games, are still winless for the season.
Poor shot selections by both squads at the start of the game resulted in a low-scoring first quarter, with a 12-10 Lions' lead.
A 16-5 Tigers' run toward the end of the second quarter turned a five-point Lions' lead into a six-point lead for the Tigers' at the half (34-28), led by Tien's 10 points for the quarter.
The Lions kept things interesting with a closely fought second half, behind the sharp outside shooting of point man Luo Hsin-liang and veteran forward Hsu Yung-yi (combined for 10-for-17).
But in the end, the Tigers' solid free throw shooting, coupled with a pair of key miscues by the Lions, gave the Tigers the victory.
Bank of Taiwan 82, Hunters 70
Game 2 on Friday between the Bank of Taiwan and the league-leading Videoland Hunters was not a lopsided victory for the Hunters like many had expected, given the Hunters' 89-68 thrashing of the bankers in their last meeting back in mid-January.
Instead, the financial wizards executed a carefully crafted game plan to near perfection en route to a valiant 82-70 triumph.
Skipper Wei Chen-ming's intent to contain the Hunters' offensive threat, Lee Chii-yi, who is averaging over 15 points per game, and control the glass was carried out masterfully as his troops held the Hunters' big man scoreless in a game for the first time this season and decisively won the rebounding battle 34-26.
Emerging center Cheng En-jeh was especially impressive for the Bank of Taiwan with several mid-range baseline jumpers that would end what were seemingly Hunters' rallies as they found themselves playing catch-up to the underdogs for much of the game.
The bankers attacked the middle of the Hunters' defense by entering the paint with their quicker and more physical frontcourt, forcing the Hunters to either give up the easy buckets or foul.
Deadly three-point shooting by the Hunters' Yang Tseh-yi and Lin Jia-huang, who combined for 8-for-11 from behind the three-point line, prevented the bankers from taking leads larger than a half dozen for most of the fourth quarter. In the game's final minutes, the Hunters self destructed with fouls and desperate three-point-shot attempts.
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was