Lee Chi-yi's selfless style of play, which led the Videoland Hunters to a perfect 2-0 record last week, earned the veteran power forward Super Basketball League's (SBL) Player of the Week honor for this week.
The spiritual team leader for the Hunters averaged nearly 35 minutes of playing time, despite suffering from a serious cold, to net 11.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, four assists, and 2.5 blocked shots in the two games for the Hunters.
"His selfless style of play really provided the entire team a big boost mentally," coach Chou Hai-rong of the Hunters said after leaning of his top player's selection for the coveted weekly award.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SBL
Lee's solid overall performance was the main reason that the previously slumping Hunters were able to win three consecutive games, including a 94-82 trouncing of Taiwan Beer, to climb back to the .500 mark for the fourth-place spot in the latest standings.
"I really didn't think it [Lee's performance] was good enough to win the Player of the Week honor, but I am glad it did. The award should go to the whole team for everyone's contribution to our recent success," a modest Lee said at the Player of the Week award ceremony earlier this week.
Lee and his hunting mates will have a chance to extend their winning streak to six straight with three games scheduled for this week, starting with tonight's showdown against the Dacin Tigers and tomorrow's match versus the Bank of Taiwan before they face an uphill battle against the league-leading Yulon Dinos on Sunday.
It will be a great challenge for the Hunters both in terms of opponent strength and physical stamina, since all three games will require the Hunters to play a fast-paced tempo and all three of their opponents are capable of running up the score in a hurry.
Controlling the tempo of the game will be crucial for the Hunters if they wish to have a good chance to beat the Tigers and the Dinos, since both clubs will undoubtedly try to exploit the Hunters' weakness in a lack of team speed by running fast breaks whenever possible.
The Hunters will also need to get a good performance from shooting guard Yang Tseh-yi, whose perimeter game, when it is on, is as dangerous as anyone's in the league.
Tonight's Action
In addition to the showdown between the Hunters and the Tigers, Bank of Taiwan will take on YMY in Game 1 this evening in what should be an easy win for the bankers, given YMY's current 17-game losing streak.
The last time that YMY savored the sweetness of victory was before Christmas, when it beat the bankers in a 96-85 final on Dec. 23.
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