Hong Kong Eastern Weathers Slow 2nd Half, Captures 1st EASL Win

In a battle between the final two winless teams of the 2024-25 East Asia Super League (EASL), Hong Kong Eastern secured its first-ever league win, defeating the San Miguel Beermen 71-62. 

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Eastern took control early, building a 28-14 lead by the end of the first quarter and maintaining a strong advantage at halftime. However, their shooting faltered in the second half, scoring just 23 points. Despite a late rally by SMB, which cut the lead to 60-58 with six minutes left, Hong Kong held firm, finishing with a disciplined, efficient performance to seal the victory.

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Post-game Triple 

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Kobey Lam’s Season-High 

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Entering the game against SMB, Kobey Lam had averaged just eight points in Hong Kong's first two EASL matches. However, on Wednesday, Lam erupted for a game-high 19 points on 50% shooting from beyond the arc.

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He started strong, hitting an improbable four-point play from the left wing with an SMB defender all over him. Throughout the game, Lam played a balanced style, staying aggressive when needed and making smart decisions. He also contributed three assists and was active on offense, earning a team-high eight free-throw attempts, converting seven of them.

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One of Lam's key moments came with 5:34 remaining. After San Miguel closed the gap to 62-58, Lam stole the ball from Beermen import Quincy Miller and converted an and-one play on the other end, giving Hong Kong a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

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SMB’s Bigs Deliver 

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San Miguel’s comeback from a 48-34 halftime deficit was largely fueled by the strong performances of forwards June Mar Fajardo and Torren Jones.

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Fajardo, an 8-time PBA MVP and one of the best Filipino players of all time, scored 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds. He took advantage of Hong Kong’s Zhu Hao, getting his defender into foul trouble early and scoring in various ways, from post-up hooks to turnaround jumpers on the block.

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Jones, a recent addition to San Miguel as one of their two imports, made a strong impact in his EASL debut. Standing at 6-foot-9, he battled with Hong Kong’s Christopher McLaughlin, challenging him with a series of tough makes inside. Jones finished with 19 points and a team-high 11 rebounds.

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The duo of Fajardo and Jones were the only players on the team to score in double digits and each played over 30 minutes.

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The Beermen Remain Winless 

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San Miguel is now the only winless team in the 2024-25 EASL, following their loss to Hong Kong. Both Hong Kong and Busan KCC secured their first victories on Wednesday, with Eastern improving to 1-2 and KCC picking up their first win after starting 0-3.

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San Miguel's struggles have been evident this year. It lost its opener to the Suwon KT Sonicboom (KBL) 87-81 on Oct. 2, never leading comfortably despite a close six-point deficit. Then, the Beermen were blown out 100-85 by Group A leaders Taoyuan Pauian Pilots (P. LEAGUE+) on Nov. 13, despite a 30-point effort from Miller. 

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In both games, even in front of home crowds, they looked disorganized offensively and struggled defensively. With its latest loss to Hong Kong, SMB's average margin of defeat now stands at 10.3 points.

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San Miguel will have a chance to secure their first win on Jan. 8, 2025, when they face the Hiroshima Dragonflies, the reigning B.LEAGUE champions. The Dragonflies are currently 2-1 and have already defeated Hong Kong — the team SMB lost to — twice. If San Miguel loses again on Jan. 8, they will be eliminated from playoff contention.

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EASL Player of the Game: Chris McLaughlin — Hong Kong Eastern 

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McLaughlin earned EASL Player of the Game honors in Hong Kong's first-ever EASL win, playing a key role in both defense and offense against San Miguel’s top frontcourt players, Fajardo and Jones.

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With fellow import Cameron Clark sidelined, McLaughlin stepped up, recording 16 points and 17 rebounds on 46% shooting in 34 minutes. He also went a perfect 4-for-4 from the free-throw line.

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In the fourth quarter, as Hong Kong fought to withstand a late San Miguel rally, McLaughlin made a crucial play. At the 4:10 mark, he tipped an Eastern miss off the backboard to himself for an easy tip-in. Two minutes later, another offensive rebound by McLaughlin led to a basket that extended Hong Kong’s lead to 71-58, sealing the win.

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Stat of the Game: 51 

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The second half of the game between Hong Kong and San Miguel was marred by offensive struggles. The two teams combined for just 51 second-half points, the lowest total for any half in the 2024-25 EASL season.

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Neither team could find a rhythm offensively. Hong Kong, which had started strong with 28 points in the first quarter and a handful of 3-pointers, finished with just 22.7% shooting from beyond the arc. San Miguel had an even tougher time, shooting only 11.8% from three and 35% from the field overall.

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In terms of quarter scoring, San Miguel posted 14 points in both the third and fourth quarters. Hong Kong, meanwhile, scored just 12 points in the third and 11 in the fourth, marking the league’s second-lowest scoring output in a single quarter of the season. Only Suwon KT’s seven points in the fourth quarter against Taoyuan on Oct. 23 was lower.

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Next Games: 

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Hong Kong Eastern: 

• Home vs. Suwon KT Sonicboom (KBL) — Jan. 7, 2025

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San Miguel Beermen: 

• Away vs. Hiroshima Dragonflies (B.LEAGUE) – Jan. 8, 2025