On Jan. 15, the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots were the toast of Taiwan’s P.League+, having catapulted to the top of the standings with a league record 10th consecutive win.
However, the Pilots began to struggle, and their 90-89 loss to the league-leading New Taipei Kings on Saturday was their ninth in a row — another league record.
Nobody was more crushed than Jason Washburn, who slumped to the floor after the final buzzer sounded and pulled his headband over his eyes, tears flowing.
Photo: CNA
The American scored a game-high 38 points — his P.League+ personal best — including a clutch three that narrowed the Kings’ lead to one with only 31 seconds left.
With 4 seconds on the clock and a chance of breaking the losing streak, Washburn was just long with a baseline turnaround jumper, adding to his frustration.
“My personal feeling on that is it doesn’t matter, because we lost,” Washburn said when asked about his 38 points.
It was the third consecutive game that the Pilots lost by three points or fewer, and their 12th defeat in their past 13 games. Their last win was on Feb. 26, when they held off the Taipei Fubon Braves at Taoyuan Arena.
The Pilots’ sluggish offense has been the main culprit behind the slump. Since Feb. 17, the team has scored an average of only 81.3 points per game.
Taoyuan’s drought has endangered its spot in the playoffs. They are currently third in the standings with a 15-17 record.
The top four teams in the six-team league qualify for the post-season.
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