The Taipei Fubon Braves last night defeated the Yankey Ark Professional Basketball Team 126-105 at the Taipei Heping Basketball Gymnasium, a day after they trounced the Tainan TSG GhostHawks 124-86 in veteran Lin Chih-chieh’s first game of his final season.
The victories mark a significant bounce back for the Braves, following a 36-point loss on Nov. 8 last year to the GhostHawks. That defeat was the second-largest margin of loss in the franchise history of the three-time P.League+ (PLG) champions.
The Braves lost three of their first four games this season, with the only victory being over the Ark on Nov. 9.
Photo: Chen Chih-chu, Taipei Times
On Saturday, three Braves scored more than 20 points, led by Troy Gillenwater’s 24. The Braves took the lead just 13 seconds into the match and remained ahead throughout the game.
The lead reached its largest margin when Jeff Wu sank a three-pointer with one minute, 48 seconds left in the fourth quarter to make the score 121-81.
However, the night belonged to Lin, who is widely regarded as the greatest player in Taiwanese basketball history.
Starting at point guard in his first game in more than seven months, Lin, nicknamed “The Beast,” drained a three-pointer from the left wing behind a screen for the first bucket of the game. He soon nailed another from the right corner, fueling a 17-2 opening run that forced the visitors to call an early timeout.
Despite being 43 years old, Lin appeared to have plenty of gas left in the tank. He went five-for-seven to finish with 13 points in about 20 minutes, including a perfect three-for-three from beyond the arc. His performance prompted the crowd to chant his name long after the final buzzer, with some fans moved to tears.
“It’s been a while since my last game, and I was actually a little nervous before the start, but I put those worries aside and focused on executing our strategies from the tip-off,” Lin said.
The game was Lin’s first appearance since May 21 last year, when he broke his left wrist during Game 7 of the PLG Finals. That injury could have ended his two-decade career, especially given his earlier plans to retire.
However, he returned for “one more year,” officially making this season his “Last Dance.”
Saturday’s win was also highlighted by the return of Michael Singletary, Lin’s teammate during the Braves’ three consecutive PLG titles. Singletary sustained a season-ending foot injury in January 2024 and left the team before his return was announced last month. He contributed 12 points in 24 minutes.
“Being able to play with him in our first game back makes this a very meaningful day in my basketball career,” Lin said of Singletary.
The Braves yesterday kept the momentum going, with Archie Goodwin scoring 51 points, with two rebounds and five assists against the Ark, while Gillenwater scored 21 points, with eight rebounds and two assists. Lin scored five points, with five rebounds and five assists.
With the back-to-back wins, the Braves improved to 3-3, tied with the GhostHawks in the four-team league. The Taoyuan Pauian Pilots remain undefeated after five games.
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