Overcoming third-quarter deficits as large as 20 points, top-ranked Pure Youth Construction poured in 25 points in the decisive fourth quarter to escape with a 78-77 win over Bank of Taiwan at the Sinjhuang Sports Complex in New Taipei City last night.
Quincy Davis’ clutch put-back basket with 4.6 seconds remaining turned a one-point deficit into a 78-77 lead as the Builders held on to grab a thrilling victory.
What should have been a double-digit win for the two-time defending champions against the last-placed Bankers turned into an uphill battle from the get-go as the Bankers surprised everyone with a 25-point first quarter that featured five three-pointers, including Kao Chien-yi’s buzzer-beating three, to lead Pure Youth 25-16.
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
Bank of Taiwan would follow their tremendous first quarter with an even more impressive 27-point second to close out the first half with a 52-35 advantage.
First-half hero Liam McMorrow, who led all scorers with 14 points at the halfway stage, managed to knock down two more baskets and grabbed five more rebounds in the third quarter against the rallying Builders to keep the Bankers’ lead at 14 heading into the fourth.
However, the tide was clearly turning in the Builders’ favor as they went to a pressure defense that forced nine turnovers off the Bankers and drew a fifth foul on McMorrow early in the fourth to bring them back to within two and eventually tie the game 74-74 with 2 minutes, 23 seconds to play.
After each side missed a pair of free throws over the next two minutes of play, it was Davis’ two free throws with 26 seconds remaining that put the Builders ahead 76-74.
Bank of Taiwan were able to counter with a go-ahead three-pointer from Chang Bo-sheng that made it 77-76 and set up what ended up being Davis’ game-clincher.
Failure to keep McMorrow in the game ultimately cost the Bankers as McMorrow’s absence in the fourth gave the Builders the chance to attack the inside of the paint, resulting in eight points and 11 rebounds from Davis in the fourth quarter alone. Had McMorrow been in the game for just three more minutes the outcome might have been different.
KINMEN 79, TAIWAN BEER 68
Kinmen Kaoliang pulled off a minor upset win over Taiwan Beer in the second game in Sinjhuang last night.
Yang Che-yi’s team-high 24 points led a foursome of double-digit scorers for the Distillers, who led from start to finish in a game that was dominated by the best from Kinmen.
MOTHER KNOWS BEST: Warriors’ coach Kerr said his 91-year-old mother criticized him for his attitude toward officials that led to his ejection from Monday’s game Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Wednesday rescued the Oklahoma City Thunder with a game-tying buzzer-beater before finishing with 46 points in a 129-125 overtime victory against the Utah Jazz. The reigning NBA champions looked to be heading for a third straight loss after the Jazz inched into a 114-112 lead following Lauri Markkanen’s layup with just three seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. However, NBA Most Valuable Player Gilgeous-Alexander drained a superb 13-foot jump shot to tie it up at 114-114 as the buzzer sounded to send the game into overtime. Gilgeous-Alexander then took over in the extra period with nine points as the Western
Mohamed Salah’s Egypt knocked reigning champions Ivory Coast out of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with a 3-2 win in the quarter-finals on Saturday, while Victor Osimhen starred as Nigeria beat Algeria 2-0 to set up a clash with hosts Morocco. In Agadir, Morocco, a thrilling last-eight tie saw Omar Marmoush and Ramy Rabia net in the first half for the Pharaohs before an own goal by Ahmed Aboul-Fetouh brought the Ivorians back into it. Salah then got Egypt’s third early in the second half and they held on after Guela Doue again reduced the deficit. Egypt is to face Senegal
AUSTRALIAN ADVENTURE: Sabalenka aims to follow up with a third Australian Open win, while Taiwanese Joanna Garland claimed a WTA 125 title in Canberra Aryna Sabalenka beat Karolina Muchova in straight sets to reach her third Brisbane International final in a row yesterday, a week ahead of the Australian Open. Sabalenka looked in great touch against the tricky Czech, who had won their last three meetings and went into the match as one of the few players with a winning record over the world No. 1. However, Sabalenka showed her class and power as she broke Muchova once in each set to take the semi-final 6-3, 6-4 in 89 minutes to face Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk in the final. “I struggled against her a couple of times [in
Brandon Miller scored 18 points, LaMelo Ball had 17 and the Charlotte Hornets built a 47-point lead in the first half of a 150-95 rout against the Utah Jazz on Saturday night. It was the second-biggest win in franchise history for the Hornets and their largest on the road. The Hornets bounced back from a pair of frustrating losses in a big way, having fallen to Toronto by one point and Indiana by two in their last two games. Charlotte pounded the NBA champion Thunder by 27 in Oklahoma City before those defeats, previously the Hornets’ most lopsided victory of the season. Tre
RSS