Lee Chi-yi’s put-back basket off Chen Chih-chung’s miss with 1.8 second remaining in the game broke an 87-all tie as the Yulon Luxgens went on to defeat Bank of Taiwan 89-87 at the Sinjhuang Sports Complex in New Taipei City last night.
With the Bankers rallying from as many as 14 down two minutes into the fourth quarter to tie the game at 85-all on Chen Hsuan-shiang’s three-pointer at the one-minute mark, the momentum was clearly in the Bankers’ favor.
However, with the game on the line and his team desperately needing a win to remain in the elite four, it was Lee who demonstrated his instinct for the ball as he grabbed the offensive rebound off Chen’s miss and nailed the put-back shot to garner the victory.
The Luxgens showed no sign of slowing down after their perfect 2-0 weekend a week ago as they rolled out 25 points in a fast-paced first quarter. The Bankers answered with a solid second quarter to claim a 40-39 lead at the half, but the Luxgens were on the move again with Lu Cheng-rue downing three threes to help his side take a 68-59 lead by the end of the third.
The Bankers went on a 21-7 run to force an 85-all tie with a minute remaining in the fourth quarter. However, it was the Luxgens who had the last laugh as Lee was in the right place at the right time to keep his team on the winning track.
In other play yesterday, it was:
‧ Tigers 90, Pure Youth 89
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