New taipei: The New Taipei Kings secured a crucial 102-86 victory against the New Taipei CTBC DEA, keeping their hopes alive in the Taiwan Professional Basketball League (TPBL) play-in series. With this win, the Kings have forced a decisive game in the best-of-three series, leveling the score at one game each. According to Focus Taiwan, Joseph Lin was instrumental in the Kings' victory, contributing 23 points, seven rebounds, and nine assists without any turnovers. The defending champions now look to carry this momentum into the final play-in game. Lin emphasized the importance of the game, stating, "It's win or go home, and we had no other choice. We had to fight with all our heart and honestly do it for A.D.," referring to Austin Daye, a teammate planning to retire after the season. The TPBL rules allow the top three regular season teams to advance directly to the playoffs, while the fourth-placed team gets a one-game advantage in a best-of-three play-in series against the fifth-placed team. Lin's perform ance was particularly strong in the second half, where he scored 18 points, including a crucial floater near midcourt with his right hand in the fourth quarter. Despite trailing by five points late in the third quarter, the Kings executed a 19-5 run over five minutes to regain control and secure the win. Jalen Harris also contributed 23 points for the Kings. On the other hand, DEA guard Hsieh Ya-hsuan scored a game-high 28 points. The Kings showcased precision in their shooting, converting 48.6 percent from the three-point range with 17 successful shots, while the DEA struggled with a 9 of 42 performance from beyond the arc. The decisive game will take place at Taipei Heping Basketball Stadium, with the winner set to face the Taoyuan Taiwan Beer Leopards in a best-of-five first-round series.