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Dinos prove too tough for Tigers

Chen Hsin-an of the Yulon Dinos, top, and Tien Lei of the Dacin Tigers collide while fighting for the ball during their playoff match in Taipei on Sunday. PHOTO: LIN CHENG-KUNG, TAIPEI TIMES

Lu Cheng-rue's 31 game-high points total along with Tseng Wen-ding's 28 propelled the Yulon Dinos to a 111-93 blowout win over the Dacin Tigers in Game 3 of first-round playoff action at the Taipei Physical Education College Gymnasium on Sunday evening.

The win not only avoided what would have been an embarrassing series-sweep by the fourth-seeded Tigers but also forced the series into a highly anticipated Game 4.

Having lost the first two games by a point each, the Dinos showed an uncanny determination to win early in the contest by scoring 23 first-quarter points before they tacked on 26 more in the second to finish the first half with a 49-45 lead.

Over-anxiousness to fight back on the Tigers part led to several rushed shots in the decisive third as they fell behind by as many as 15 points against a Dinos zone defense that held them to a measly 16 points during the quarter. While the defense held its ground against the Tigers attack, the Dinos offense had its way against the Tigers defense with Tseng tearing up the inside of the paint and Lu hitting from long range to put the game away long before the final quarter began.

Five different players scored in double-digits for the Dinos with Lu and Tseng's combined 59 points leading the way.

Only three players scored ten points or more for the Tigers with Tien Lei leading the pack with 30 points and nine rebounds. After their two narrow one-point wins over the defending champs on Friday and Saturday, reality finally hit them as they prepare to come out strong in Game 4 to accomplish an unprecedented championship-series appearance by a fourth-seeded side.

Taiwan Beer 80, Hunters 73

Taiwan Beer reclaimed a one-game lead in the other first-round playoffs series with a victory over the Videoland Hunters on Sunday night to put itself one game short of another championship-series appearance.

As he had done throughout the regular season, team leader Lin "the Beast" Chih-jeh racked up 33 points to lead his Taiwan Beer side, that held top Hunters scorer Jonathan Sanders to just eleven points (his second lowest point production of the year), en route to the emotional win.

Playing their "A" game from the get go, the Taiwan Beer poured in 25 points to lead the second-seeded Hunters 25-19 after the first quarter of play before upping the advantage by as many as a dozen.

That was when the Hunters' Wu Yong-ren upped his game a notch by scoring his team's final nine points of the second quarter to keep the Hunters within striking distance of Taiwan Beer in a 44-39 half-time score.

The Hunters reduced the gap and actually went 65-64 ahead early in the fourth before Taiwan Beer emerged once again with a three-point play the old fashion way followed by a monstrous three in the closing minutes to nail the win.
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