Patrick O’Bryant shot a perfect eight-for-eight from the field in a 19-point third quarter, while Chou Po-cheng chipped in another 14 on a double-double outing as Taiwan Beer overcame a sluggish second quarter with a strong third to defeat Pure Youth Construction 80-67 in Game 4 of the Super Basketball Finals at the Sinjhuang Sports Complex in New Taipei City last night to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
It was one of the best single-quarter performances ever in post-season history as the hired gun for the Brew Crew put on an offensive clinic on a 31-point night to put his club just one win shy of their fourth league title in team history.
Chou also played his best game of this post-season by far by converting five of seven from the field, including three threes on a 14-point and 10-rebound effort to stifle the four-time defending champs.
“Coach Yen gave me the greenlight all the way and the shots just started falling for me,” Chou said after the game.
The defensive specialist, who is known more for his glove-like coverage against the opposing team’s top offensive player, let it all hang out on the night to surprise the Builders.
In an eventful evening that featured a power outage with less than eight minutes to play in the second quarter that delayed the game for nearly an hour, Taiwan Beer opened the contest with a quick 21-17 advantage, despite turning the ball over nine times.
The sloppy play soon caught up with the Brew Crew as the Builders fought back by outscoring their opponents 18-9 in the second quarter to claim a 35-30 lead at the half.
That set up the all-O’Bryant offensive clinic in the third, in which Taiwan Beer poured in 32 compared with the Builders’ 17 to grab a double-digit lead, a margin they did not relinquish as they held on strong in the fourth quarter to deny Pure Youth any chance of a comeback.
The two teams will have today off the rest their bodies and souls as they prepare for tomorrow night’s Game 5, in which Taiwan Beer could clinch the series with a win, while the Builders look to extend the series for another game with a victory of their own.
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