The Taipei Fubon Braves clinched the P.League+ championship for a second consecutive year on Monday, after edging the Hsinchu Jko Lioneers 108-104 in Game 5 of the basketball league’s finals series.
The Braves won the best-of-seven series 4-1. It was their second championship victory after winning the league’s inaugural 2020-2021 season.
Braves forward Mike Singletary also completed a personal double, winning the Most Valuable Player award for the second year in a row after posting a double-double of 43 points and 13 rebounds in Monday’s game.
Photo: CNA
After the game at Hsinchu County Stadium, Singletary thanked his team’s fans for their support.
“Fubon fans, you guys showed up and showed us so much love today. We wouldn’t have been able to do this all season without you guys. I’m so thankful for you guys, and more importantly, I’m thankful for my team,” Singletary said.
“Everybody told us we were too old to win a championship and look we’re here right now, right? We just got so many guys who are just vets man, and come to play when it’s time to play. This team is amazing, this is the best team, obviously in the P.League+, [and] the best team I’ve been on,” Singletary said.
In Monday’s game, played in front of a sell-out crowd of 8,000, the Braves shot ahead 60-50 at halftime, before the Lioneers clawed back to 105-102 with 31 seconds left in the game thanks to a clutch three-pointer from guard Oscar Kao.
On the next possession, Braves forward Lin Chi-chieh missed a layup and saw the rebound caught by Lioneers forward Nick Faust.
Faust dished the ball to Kao to set up a dime for teammate Hsiao Shun-yi under the basket to close the gap to 105-104 with only 22 seconds left, forcing the Braves to call a time-out.
A quick foul after the Braves’ inbound sent Singletary to the free-throw line, where he made one from two.
Lioneers forward Jay Kuo missed the next shot from beyond the three-point line, forcing the Hsinchu team to immediately foul to stop the clock.
That once again sent Singletary to the free-throw line with just under nine seconds left until the final buzzer.
Singletary sank both free throws before Kao ran a coast-to-coast play that shot the ball out of bounds with only two seconds left. The Braves inbounded the ball, which was soon followed by a sea of blue streamers raining down at the buzzer to celebrate their victory.
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