March 9, 2025 — Studio City Event Center, Macau SAR

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The New Taipei Kings secured third place in the East Asia Super League 2024-25 Season with an 84-80 victory over their rivals, the Ryukyu Golden Kings, in the EASL Final Four 2025 Third-Place Game.

Facing off for the fifth time in the past two seasons, the two teams delivered a thrilling back-and-forth contest.

With New Taipei trailing by one in the final seconds, Jeremy Lin found a wide-open Su Shih-Hsuan in the corner for the go-ahead 3-pointer. The clutch shot earned Su his first career EASL Player of the Game honors.

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Post-Game Triple:

“Su”-per Hero

In a tightly contested battle, the game came down to the final moments.

New Taipei trailed by as many as 11 points early but steadily chipped away at the deficit.

With 13 seconds remaining and the Kings down by one, Lin drew a triple-team and kicked the ball to Su Shih-Hsuan, who buried a corner three. Despite scoring only three points in the game, Su’s shot was the most crucial, sealing the win. Kenny Manigault's free throws in the closing seconds secured New Taipei's third-place finish.

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New Taipei: 3-2 in Battle of the Kings

One of the EASL's fiercest rivalries saw its fifth installment as New Taipei and Ryukyu met once again.

After splitting their season series last year, the teams faced off twice in the Group Stage this season, each winning once. 

The Third-Place Game provided a tiebreaker, delivering a dramatic contest that featured 14 ties and 35 lead changes—none bigger than Su's decisive three-pointer.

With the win, the New Taipei Kings now lead the series 3-2 over the past two seasons, with the potential for more battles in the future.

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Scoring Returns

Both teams struggled offensively in their semifinal losses, combining for an average of just 64.5 points.

Ryukyu endured one of its worst shooting performances in Friday's semifinal against the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots, hitting just 31% from the field. New Taipei fared only slightly better, shooting 36% overall and 1-of-16 (6%) in the fourth quarter, sealing their defeat.

Sunday told a different story. New Taipei shot 46% from the field, including 53% (8-for-15) in the fourth quarter, overcoming their previous struggles. Ryukyu also improved, shooting 48% from the floor.

Jeremy Lin rebounded from a seven-point outing on 33% shooting in the semifinals to score 18 points on 56% shooting in the Third-Place Game.

Ryukyu's leading scorer from the Group Stage, Keve Aluma, also rediscovered his form. After a tough 11-point, 28% shooting performance in the semis, Aluma responded with 25 points on an efficient 88% from the field.

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EASL Player of the Game: Su Shih-Hsuan — New Taipei Kings

The EASL Player of the Game isn't always the top scorer but rather the player who makes the biggest impact.

Su Shih-Hsuan, who averaged just two points per game this season, stepped up when it mattered most. His only points of the night came on the game-winning three-pointer with 13 seconds left—a shot that delivered New Taipei the victory.

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Stat of the Game: 17-8

The Ryukyu Golden Kings struggled to protect the ball in this one, committing 17 turnovers in the game. The Kings capitalized on the Golden Kings’ mistakes, scoring 13 points from turnovers.

In contrast, New Taipei only registered eight turnovers in the game, which helped them in their victory over their storied rivals.

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Quotes of the Game: 

Su Shih-Hsuan on the game-winner:

“Coach Ryan [Marchand] drew the play up, and at that time, all the defensive focus was on Jeremy [Lin], Joe [Lin], and Kenny [Manigault]. And he just said, make that shot. I was wide open, and I made it.”

On Placing Third:

“There were a lot of disappointments since last season when we lost in the Final Four, and we had the opportunity to advance to the Final Four again this season. So, we were looking forward to it and played the best we can. The last game we lost, and that was disappointing, but our coaches and everybody talked to each other and said we’re going to win now and fight for third place, and now this game is the most important thing. So, we win this. This means a lot to this organization because we just got a new record.”