Damian Chong Qui named EASL November POTM, two Taoyuan players named to TOTM

Macau Black Bears guard Damian Chong Qui has been named East Asia Super League’s (EASL) Player of the Month for November. On Nov. 6, Chong Qui notably registered the league’s first-ever triple-double — notching 22 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists — in an 111-97 victory over the Korean Basketball League’s (KBL) Busan KCC Egis. 

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Chong Qui’s stellar play also earned him a spot on EASL’s Team of the Month for November alongside Lu Chun-Hsiang (Taoyuan Pauian Pilots), Deonte Burton (Busan KCC Egis), Alec Brown (Taoyuan Pauian Pilots) and Akil Mitchell (Meralco Bolts). Chong Qui is now the only player to earn back-to-back Team of the Month honors (Oct. 2024, Nov. 2024) while Taoyuan became the first team in the 2024-25 campaign to have two players selected for the Team of the Month (Lu, Brown). 

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After disappointing in his EASL debut in October, Lu tallied 25 points on 5-for-10 3-point shooting to lead the Pauian Pilots to a 101-85 victory over the Philippine Basketball Association’s (PBA) San Miguel Beermen on Nov. 13. The 6-foot-3 guard’s performance earned him EASL Player of the Game honors. Meanwhile, Brown delivered a game-high 27 points — his second consecutive contest scoring over 20 points. 

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Despite Busan KCC losing in two straight outings to begin its inaugural EASL season, star forward Deonte Burton has been a lone bright spot. The 6-foot-4 import erupted for 35 points in his first EASL contest — a 111-97 defeat against Macau on Nov. 6 — before delivering a 26-point, 9-rebound and 5-assist showing in KCC’s narrow loss to the Meralco Bolts on Nov. 13. 

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The Egis’ most recent loss at the Bolts could be chalked up to losing Burton when he fouled out with 4:04 remaining in the fourth quarter. Another reason? Mitchell’s historic 33-point, 22-rebound EASL debut. Signed on Nov. 11 to replace former Meralco import Allen Durham, Mitchell made an immediate impact against Busan KCC, becoming the first-ever EASL player to total a 30-point, 20-rebound game. Looking ahead, the 6-foot-9 big man will be a key asset for the Bolts in the latter half of the season and their domestic campaign in the 49th Commissioner’s Cup.

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The second FIBA international window for the 2025 Asia Cup Qualifiers limited EASL action in November to just three games. The league resumes on Dec. 4 with matchups in Okinawa, Japan, and Suwon, South Korea, leading up to its major midseason event, the Macau Classic, on December 11 at Studio City, Macau.

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