Top-ranked Dacin Tigers take on the second-place Yulon Luxgens in Super Basketball League (SBL) action tonight with a contest between the Taiwan Mobile Leopards and Bank of Taiwan to follow at the Taipei Municipal Gymnasium.
A big crowd is expected for the showdown between the top two squads in the league as the Tigers look to up their half-game lead over the Luxgens by a full game.
Not getting into a run-and-shoot style of play will be crucial for the Luxgens as they begin a tough three-game weekend with Taiwan Beer and Kinmen Liquor next on their schedule.
Although the Tigers have to play a game against the Leopards tomorrow, a fast-paced, high scoring game will favor the league-leaders’ younger and more mobile starting five compared to an older, but more experienced Yulon crew.
In addition to controlling the pace of the game, the battle off the glass could be another key factor in the game with the Tigers’ Byron Allen enjoying at least a 30kg weight advantage over the Luxgens’ Tseng Wen-ding, even though Tseng is 4cm taller.
Should either player get into foul trouble early, the advantage will shift to the Luxgens who can call on Wei Yong-tai, Lee Chih-yi, and Wu Chih-wei as opposed to a shorthanded Dacin squad that can only go with Tien Lei or Yao Jung-jeh in the middle with Lee Fong-yong out nursing an injury.
On the defensive side, the Tigers will probably start the game with a soft zone that will try to protect against Tseng inside the paint and make the Luxgens hit the perimeter jumpers before they go with a more imposing man-to-man coverage that could make a slower Allen vulnerable to Tseng’s low-post moves.
As for the Luxgens, taking away the Tigers’ renowned three-point attack by playing a straight man-to-man defense may be the only option that skipper Chang Hsueh-lei has, unless the Tigers suddenly lose their shooting range. They will also have to guard Chang Chih-fong closely with the Dacin captain in the midst of a fine shooting year that has him averaging nearly 20 points per game.
In tonight’s other game, the slumping Leopards will try to feast off the last-place bankers with an expected victory before they take on the Tigers and Taiwan Beer tomorrow and on Sunday.
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