Defending champions Taipei Fubon Braves are into the finals of Taiwan’s professional basketball league P. LEAGUE+ for the second consecutive year after defeating the Formosa Taishin Dreamers 119-111 in a double-overtime semifinal thriller Sunday.
Earlier in the five-game series, the Braves defeated the Taichung-based Dreamers 98-89 on June 4 and 100-94 on June 6, and lost 95-80 on June 10.
At Sunday’s post-game press conference at the Taipei Heping Basketball Gymnasium, Braves head coach Roger Hsu (???) said he was touched by the tremendous effort shown by his players to clinch the win and advance to the finals.
Last season’s finals MVP Braves forward Mike Singletary, who led his team with a herculean double-double of 37 points and 18 rebounds, said he knew he had to be aggressive and help his team win.
“When other guys have it going, my role is to play defense and do everything I can to help the team win. Tonight was a situation where I had to be more aggressive and that’s just what happened,” Singletary said.
Taiwanese basketball star and Braves forward Lin Chi-chieh (???), who scored 27 points and was just one rebound shy of a double-double, said he wanted to win the game to defend his homecourt.
Lin, who turned 40 on Saturday, said that although there was a gap in physical fitness as he grew older, he had a better understanding of what he should do on the court.
Back at Sunday’s game, the score was tied at 105-105 after Braves forward Josh Chou (???) put in a right-handed hook shot in the paint with around four minutes left in the second overtime period.
From there, the Braves led a 10-0 run over the Dreamers, before Dreamers point guard Lin Chun-chi (???) answered back with a three-point play to narrow the gap to 115-108 with only one minute and 19 seconds left.
However, with limited time left on the clock, the Braves held their lead and edged over with a 4-3 point run in the remainder of the game to advance to the finals.
The Braves, winners of the inaugural P. LEAGUE+ championship last season, will be pitted in the best-of-seven final series against the winners of the other semifinal matchup between the Hsinchu Jko Lioneers and expansion team the New Taipei Kings, which is currently tied up at two games apiece.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel