FINAL FOUR SEMIFINALS GAME NOTES: Hiroshima Dragonflies (5-1) vs. New Taipei Kings (4-2)

B.LEAGUE and P. LEAGUE+ champions clash in EASL Final Four Semifinals

March 4, 2025 — Studio City Event Center, Macau SAR

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by EASL🏀East Asia Super League (@eastasiasuperleague)

Where to Watch:

The Hiroshima Dragonflies and New Taipei Kings tip off at 18:40 CT at Studio City Event Center in Macau. Here’s where you can watch the game:

Japan:

Live on U-NEXT (Japanese streaming platform).

‍

Chinese Taipei:

Live on Videoland (pay TV), Videoland’s Twitch and YouTube channels, and streaming platform PTS+ (OTT).

‍

Outside These Regions:

Visit the “Watch” tab on the EASL website for streaming options in your area.

‍

Get Your Tickets: Studio City Macau

‍

Storylines:

Clash of Champions

The EASL Final Four 2025 tips off with an epic battle between two reigning domestic champions. The Hiroshima Dragonflies, winners of Japan’s B.LEAGUE, take on the New Taipei Kings, the defending P. LEAGUE+ champions from Chinese Taipei.

The Dragonflies were last season’s Cinderella story in Japan, entering the playoffs as a wildcard team after finishing third in the B.LEAGUE Western District with a 36-24 record. They swept San-En NeoPhoenix in the quarterfinals, then took down the Nagoya Diamond Dolphins in a three-game semifinal series. In the B.LEAGUE Finals, they lost Game 1 against the reigning champions, Ryukyu Golden Kings, but rallied to win the next two games and claim their first league title.

The New Taipei Kings are the first team in EASL history to qualify for the Final Four in back-to-back seasons. After finishing fourth last year, they rebounded to win their first P. LEAGUE+ championship. The Kings finished third in the regular season (22-18), defeated the Formosa Dreamers in the semifinals, and overcame the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots in the finals to secure their first domestic crown.

‍

How They Got Here

The Dragonflies opened their EASL campaign with back-to-back wins over Hong Kong Eastern, but a loss to Korea’s Suwon KT Sonicboom raised questions about their consistency. They responded emphatically, handing the previously unbeaten Taoyuan Pauian Pilots an 11-point defeat on Christmas Day.

Hiroshima solidified their place in the Final Four with a commanding 94-63 win over the San Miguel Beermen on Jan. 8.

The Kings began their season with a stunning home loss to the expansion Macau Black Bears but rebounded with a 19-point win over them at the Macau Classic. A loss to Group B winners, Ryukyu Golden Kings, put their Final Four hopes in jeopardy, but they responded with consecutive victories, setting up a decisive game against the Meralco Bolts on the final day of the Group Stage.

New Taipei staged a dramatic comeback in that game. Trailing by 10 entering the fourth quarter, Austin Daye’s clutch three-pointer forced overtime. Jansen Rios answered with a three-pointer for Meralco, extending the contest to double overtime. Finally, Joseph Lin buried a dagger three to secure the Kings' second straight Final Four appearance.

‍

JLin7: In or Out?

New Taipei Kings’ star Jeremy Lin has been sidelined since Jan. 21 with a right hamstring injury suffered against the Busan KCC Egis. He gingerly exited the game after backing into a defender in the post.

The star guard has not played a game since leaving the contest, but was close to returning heading to the final game against the Meralco Bolts.

Jeremy Lin has been out with a right hamstring injury since Jan. 21 against Busan KCC Egis.

Injuries have plagued Lin in the EASL before. Last season, he missed the final two group-stage games and the Final Four with a plantar fascia injury.

‍

Hiroshima Dragonflies (Japan — B.LEAGUE) Players to Watch:

#12 Takuto Nakamura — Guard, 6-foot-1

2024-25 EASL Season Averages: 8.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists
2023-24 B.LEAGUE Champion
Nakamura represented the Japanese national team during the Nov. 2024 FIBA International Window
Joined the Hiroshima Dragonflies in 2022
Nakamura attended Daito Bunka University
Nakamura is from Nagoya, Japan

‍

#13 Dwayne Evans II — Forward, 6-foot-6

2024-25 EASL Season Averages: 26.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists
2023-24 B.LEAGUE Champion
Joined the Hiroshima Dragonflies in 2022
Evans played for the Ryukyu Golden Kings (B.LEAGUE) from 2020-2022
Evans attended St. Louis (2010-2014)
2-time First-Team All-Atlantic 10 (2013, 2014)
2013 Atlantic 10 Tournament MVP
2011 Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team
Evans is from Bolingbrook, Illinois, USA

‍

#8 Kerry Blackshear Jr. — Forward, 6-foot-8

2024-25 EASL Season Averages: 16.6 points, 11.4 rebounds, 5.4 assists
2023-24 B.LEAGUE Champion
2023-24 B.LEAGUE Sixth-Man of the Year
Joined the Hiroshima Dragonflies in 2022
Blackshear Jr. went undrafted in the 2020 NBA Draft
2020 Second-Team All-SEC with Florida
2019 Second-Team All-ACC with Virginia Tech
Blackshear Jr. attended Virginia Tech (2015-19) and Florida (2019-20)
Blackshear Jr. is from Orlando, Florida, USA

‍

New Taipei Kings (P. LEAGUE+ — Chinese Taipei) Players to Watch:

#7 Jeremy Lin, Guard, 6-foot-2

2024-25 EASL Averages: 19.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists
2019 NBA Champion with Toronto Raptors
Lin spent time in the NBA with the Golden State Warriors (2010-11), New York Knicks (2011-12), Houston Rockets (2012-14), Los Angeles Lakers (2014-15), Charlotte Hornets (2015-16), Brooklyn Nets (2016-18), Atlanta Hawks (2018-19), and Toronto Raptors (2019).
2023-24 P. LEAGUE+ Champion with New Taipei Kings
2024 P. LEAGUE+ Assists Leader with Kaohsiung 17Live Steelers
2020 Chinese CBA All-Star with Beijing Ducks
2x First-Team NCAA D-I All-Ivy League with Harvard University (2009, 2010)
2008 Second-Team NCAA D-I All-Ivy League with Harvard University
2012 Time 100: Most Influencial People of the Year
2012 ESPY Award for Breakthrough Athlete of the Year
Joined the New Taipei Kings in 2023
Lin attended college at Harvard University
Lin is from Paolo Alto, California, USA

‍

#31 Sani Sakakini, Forward, 6-feet-8

2024-25 EASL Averages: 20.0 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists
2x All-Jordanian League First Team with Al Riyadi Amman and Sarriyet Ramallah (2010, 2013)
2013 All-Jordanian League Center with Sarriyet Ramallah (Jordan)
2x Palestinian Basketball League Champion (2013, 2021)
2014 All-Chinese CBA Third Team with Qingdao DoubleStar Eagles (China)
2015 Jordanian League Champion with Orthodox Club (Jordan)
2015 All-Asian Championships Second Team with Orthodox Club (Jordan)
2x All-Chinese CBA Honorable Mentions with Jiangsu Tongxi and Tianjin Ronggang (2016, 2017)
2022 All-T1 League First Team with Taichung Wagor Suns (Chinese Taipei)
Joined the New Taipei Kings in 2024
Sakakini is from Ramallah, Palestine

‍

#55 Kenny Manigault, Forward, 6-foot-5

2024-25 EASL Averages: 19.3 points, 9.8 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 3.8 steals
2023-24 P. LEAGUE+ Champion with New Taipei Kings
2023 P. LEAGUE+ Second Team with New Taipei Kings
2x P. LEAGUE+ Steals King (2023, 2024)
Joined the New Taipei Kings in 2022
Manigault attended college at the University of South Carolina, Aiken, and the University of Pikeville.
Manigault is from North Charleston, South Carolina, USA