The Macau Black Bears won their first East Asia Super League (EASL) game, beating the early-season favorites, the New Taipei Kings, in Taiwan.
The match, which was part of Gameday 3: Group B, saw the Bears win 109-97 at Xinzhuang Gymnasium, New Taipei City, home court of the Kings.
The Macau side took the lead early in the game, jumping to an 11-point advantage after the first quarter. They maintained control throughout the game, eventually pulling away late in the fourth quarter for the win.
Bears captain Jeantal Cylla led the team with a game-high 32 points, shooting 12-of-18 from the field, including five 3-pointers.
Both teams fielded a short rotation as the Kings and the Bears each had just nine active players on their rosters.
Kings Head Coach Ryan Marchand addressed the limited roster during halftime, saying, “We have a lot of injuries. Our bench depth is really small right now, so we just make sure we stay healthy.”
The Kings mostly played a six-man rotation, with Jeremy Lin, Joseph Lin, Lee Kai-Yan, Sani Sakakini, Jason Washburn, and Kenny Manigault each playing over 28 minutes.
The Bears also brought just nine players to New Taipei. However, they used a more balanced rotation, with seven players logging over 13 minutes and all scoring.
Their success was boosted by an efficiency rate of 51.5%, with 17 of 33 three-pointers contributing to their good score.
Jenning Leung was another standout for Macau, making five out of 8 attempts from beyond the arc.
In contrast, the Kings struggled from the 3-point line, only managing to hit seven of 3’s attempts all game for a 20% score rate.
Star player Jeremy Lin was just 2-for-10 from deep, finishing with a team-high of 21 points.
With four games to go, including three home games in Studio City Macau, the Black Bears have shown they have the potential to be a dark horse in Group B, with the firepower to beat favorites like New Taipei. They aim to secure a spot in the 2025 Final Four, scheduled for March 2025.
The Bears will face the Ryukyu Golden Kings on Oct. 30 in the first of their upcoming home matches.
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