The visiting Formosa Taishin Dreamers on Saturday outhustled the defending champions Taipei Fubon Braves to win the first game of the P.League+ season with a thrilling 111-108 turnaround win.
The Taipei Heping Basketball Gymnasium was at about 97 percent capacity with 6,788 fans to watch the opener of the six-team league’s second season.
The Braves held a comfortable lead for the majority of the first half, as they tore through the Taichung-based Dreamers’ offense to establish a comfortable 60-43 lead at halftime.
Photo: CNA
The Dreamers rallied with a stunning comeback in the third quarter to pull past the Braves 41-26.
The Dreamers put themselves up 108-105 in the fourth quarter, with only 21 seconds left in the game. The Braves fouled to stop the clock before Dreamers center Brandon Gilbeck sunk a free throw.
Braves swingman and last season’s finals Most Valuable Player Mike Singletary responded from downtown, but another foul put Dreamers forward Randall Walko on the free-throw line to sink both shots and drive the Dreamers three points ahead.
Samuel Deguara, the 2.3m-tall Braves center, posted a double-double of 30 points and 20 rebounds, while Singletary recorded 13 points and 11 rebounds. Dreamers sharpshooter Kenny Chien scored 30 points, including 5-6 from beyond the arc.
Dreamers head coach Kyle Julius praised the team for turning the game around in the third quarter.
“It’s really special to come and play someone on their ring ceremony and steal the game from them; it’s really special, it sends a message and it sets the tone. I remember losing to them by 30 in Game 4 last year, and there’s two seconds left in the third quarter and they called time out and where I’m from, you don’t do that,” Julius said, referring to the May 18 game in which the Braves won 115-90.
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