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.
Harry Kane opened the scoring ahead of lifting his first career silverware as Bayern Munich beat Borussia Moenchengladbach 2-0, with veteran Thomas Mueller playing his last home game for the club. Bayern officially won the title on May 4 when defending champions Bayer Leverkusen were held to a 2-2 draw at Freiburg, but were presented with the Bundesliga shield in front of their home fans at full-time. Dripping wet after being showered with beer by teammates, Kane said the title win was “an incredible feeling,” and hoped it would be “the first of many.” “It’s been lot of hard work, a lot of
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