Kaohsiung Aquas small forward Kevin Hu hit a clutch three-pointer with only fractions of a second left before the final buzzer to clinch Game 1 for his team in the best-of-five T1 League Final series on Tuesday.
The Aquas edged the Taichung Wagor Suns 101-99 in a thrilling fourth-quarter showdown at Kaohsiung Fengshan Stadium that saw the Aquas survive a last-minute scare before Hu buried a bucket from downtown with 0.75 seconds left in the game.
MISSED OPPORTUNITIES
Photo courtesy of the T1 League
At the post-game news conference, Aquas head coach Brendan Joyce said it was important to get the first win at home, but added that his team had the opportunity to win by double figures.
“We had a good lead at three-quarter time. We had some defensive breakdowns that we don’t normally have, “ Joyce said.
The Aquas also had a scoring drought where their shots did not finish at the rim like they normally do, Joyce said.
“So that obviously put us on edge a little bit and gives the other team confidence,” he said.
Joyce said Hu is not afraid to take big shots.
“Hats off, that shot gets us across the line to win the game. Now we’ve got Game 2,” he said.
SCORING SLUMP
The Aquas led for most of the game with a comfortable 93-76 cushion at the end of the third quarter.
However, a breakdown in the fourth quarter saw the Aquas only score five points in the first 11 minutes, enabling the Suns close the gap, eventually overtaking 99-98 after Suns guard Anthony Tucker hit a mid-range jumper with 46 seconds left on the clock.
From there, both the Aquas and the Suns failed to score while in possession, until a foul by Suns guard Jordan Heading sent the Aquas to inbound from the baseline.
FINAL PUSH
Aquas guard Jason Brickman inbounded the ball to Hu, who was open near the arc and buried it southpaw over the outstretched hands of Suns guard Jordan Heading, leaving the Suns with 0.75 seconds of possession.
After a time-out, the Suns inbounded from the offensive end of the court to Tucker who made a desperate turn-around shot that failed to touch the rim or backboard, and the game went to the Aquas.
The inaugural T1 League best-of-five Final series continues today at 7pm at Kaohsiung Fengshan Stadium when the Aquas again host the Suns.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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