TPBL Austin Daye's Double-Double Propels Kings to Consecutive Wins, Entering Playoffs to Defend Title

Central News Agency (CNA)

(CNA reporter Chen Rong-chen, Taipei, 6th) The defending champions of the Taiwan Professional Basketball League (TPBL), New Taipei Kings, today relied on foreign player Austin Daye's 21 points and 11 rebounds, coupled with Lin Shu-wei's all-around statistics, to defeat New Taipei CTBC DEA 96-90, completing an "underdog triumph" to advance to the playoffs.

After winning the inaugural TPBL championship, the Kings underwent significant roster changes during the offseason. In addition to Taiwanese-American star Jeremy Lin choosing to retire, head coach Ryan Marchand and key foreign player Kenny Manigault also moved to Japan's professional basketball league. During the season, there was also a "coaching change controversy." Now, in the playoff challenge round, they have overcome a disadvantage of initially trailing by 1 game, defeating the DEA in two consecutive games to secure a playoff spot.

The Kings, who tied the series yesterday, faced the DEA "back-to-back" today. The two teams engaged in an intense battle from the first quarter. In the third quarter, foreign player Austin Daye continuously hit three-pointers, and point guard Lin Shu-wei's playmaking helped the team reverse the score. In the fourth quarter, foreign player Jalen Harris took on the scoring responsibility, ultimately winning by 6 points and completing the "impossible mission" of an underdog triumph.

Hung Chih-shan, who temporarily took over as head coach during the season, successfully led the team to the playoffs, retaining the opportunity to challenge for a consecutive championship. In a post-game media interview, he noted that the team tried a new defensive strategy, catching the opponent off guard, and praised the players' execution, especially Wang Po-chih coming off the bench as a key player who maintained the rhythm. "Our coaching staff has been sleeping at 3 AM these days, desperately researching game plans."

Daye, who will retire after this season, praised the entire coaching staff, noting that achieving playoff advancement despite a mid-season coaching change was a remarkable feat. He also thanked Lin Shu-wei for demonstrating through action his commitment to leading the team to the playoffs. "I am very grateful to him; we are like brothers." (Edited by Huang Ming-hsi) 1150506