P. LEAGUE+ Semifinals Preview

The P. LEAGUE+ semifinals begin tomorrow (May 23). The winner of each series will advance to the P. LEAGUE+ Finals and claim a berth in the EASL 2024-25 Season.

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Who will emerge victorious? Here’s our preview…

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(1) Taoyuan Pauian Pilots vs. (4) Hsinchu Toplus Lioneers

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Regular season champions the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots had a slow start this season, winning just one game in their first six contests. But after spending the first of the season in the middle of the standings, the Pauian Pilots found an extra gear in February.

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Since February 18, Taoyuan has won 18 of their 22 games, finishing the season with a 26-14 record and jumping past the Formosa Dreamers and the New Taipei Kings in the standings.

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The Hsinchu Toplus Lioneers’ season was filled with streaks. After starting the season with four straight defeats, Hsinchu went on a six-game winning streak before losing five of their following six games. They would go on and win nine of their next 13 games.

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From mid-April to mid-May, the Lioneers won just one of their seven games, before finishing the season with three consecutive victories for a 21-19 record, good for fourth in the regular season standings.

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The Pauian Pilots sport the best defense in the league, conceding just 85.3 points per game, more than SEVEN points better than the next-best team. By contrast, the Lioneers have the worst defense in the league, giving up 99.65 points per game, over 11 points more than the Pauian Pilots.

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In the season series between the two teams, the Lioneers defeated the Pauian Pilots in the first two matchups, before Taoyuan rallied with six consecutive wins to finish 6-2 up.

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Players to Watch

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Hsinchu Toplus Lioneers – #4 Oscar Kao Kuo-Hao – PG

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Point guard Kao Kuo-Hao is one of the league’s best perimeter defenders and was named to the P. LEAGUE+ All-Defense Team for the past three seasons.

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He is also a solid contributor on the offensive end, averaging 13.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game in 30 games this season.

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Kao was PLG Rookie of the Year in 2020-21, and made the All-PLG Second Team back-to-back in 2021-22 and 2022-23.

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Taoyuan Pauian Pilots – #69 Justin Lu Chun-Hsiang – G

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Guard Lu Chun-Hsiang made it to the All-PLG First Team last season, averaging 14.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game.

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Lu improved his game this year, setting career highs with 16.8 points and 3.3 assists in 37 games. This includes a career game in March where he scored 40 points against the defending champions, the Taipei Fubon Braves.

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Lu’s defense cannot be overlooked. He was named to the PLG All-Defensive Team last season, and is averaging 2.0 steals per game this year.

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One more stat you should know

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Low-scoring affair

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The Hsinchu Toplus Lioneers and the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots have the two worst offenses in the league this season.

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Their numbers are nearly identical, as Hsinchu averaged 92.93 points per game, while Taoyuan was marginally better at 92.95 points per game.

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Game schedule

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All times China Standard Time

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• Game 1: Hsinchu Toplus Lioneers (Away) vs. Taoyuan Pauian Pilots (Home), Thursday, May 23, 19:00
• Game 2: Hsinchu Toplus Lioneers (Away) vs. Taoyuan Pauian Pilots (Home), Saturday, May 25, 17:00
• Game 3: Taoyuan Pauian Pilots (Away) vs. Hsinchu Toplus Lioneers (Home), Monday, May 27, 19:00
• Game 4: Taoyuan Pauian Pilots (Away) vs. Hsinchu Toplus Lioneers (Home), Wednesday, May 29, 19:00
• Game 5: Hsinchu Toplus Lioneers (Away) vs. Taoyuan Pauian Pilots (Home), Friday, May 31, 19:00*
• Game 6: Taoyuan Pauian Pilots (Away) vs. Hsinchu Toplus Lioneers (Home), Sunday, June 2, 17:00*
• Game 7: Hsinchu Toplus Lioneers (Away) vs. Taoyuan Pauian Pilots (Home), Tuesday, June 4, 19:00*

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* = if necessary

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(2) Formosa Dreamers vs. (3) New Taipei Kings

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The New Taipei Kings are looking to return to the EASL and improve on their fourth-place finish in 2023-24. First, they must get past the Dreamers in the P. LEAGUE+ semifinals.

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The Kings started their season on a high, winning their first nine games in the P. LEAGUE+ and the EASL combined. However, disaster struck when star Jeremy Lin got injured in late January, forcing him to miss 15 of the following 16 games, including the EASL Final Four.

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The Kings would win just four of 16 games during that stretch.

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Lin made his long-awaited return on April 13 and New Taipei ended the season winning seven of their final 11 games, to finish the year with a 22-18 record.

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The Dreamers also started the season hot. After dropping their first game against the Kaohsiung 17LIVE Steelers, the team embarked on a 10-game winning streak. They then lost five consecutive contests, before winning nine of their next 12 games.

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The Dreamers ended the season around .500 after losing the final two games.

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The Dreamers have the Kings’ number this season, winning the season series 6-2.

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Players to Watch

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New Taipei Kings – #7 Jeremy Lin – G

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The New Taipei Kings are 20-9 in the games Jeremy Lin played this season in the P. LEAGUE+ and the EASL. He’s eighth in the P. LEAGUE+ in scoring, averaging 19.3 points in 24 games.

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The team was reluctant to give him too many minutes after his return from his plantar fascia injury, playing him for just 19.5 minutes in his first six games back. His minutes have since ramped up, averaging 33 in his final four appearances in the regular season.

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If Lin can regain his pre-injury form, the Kings will have a great shot making it to the EASL in back-to-back seasons.

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Formosa Dreamers – #11 Luka Lin Chun-Chi – G

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After winning PLG Sixth Man of the Year last season, the Dreamers rewarded Lin Chun-Chi with a role in the starting lineup.

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In return, the 26-year-old guard delivered the best season of his career.

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Lin was a consistent double-figure scorer throughout the season, missing that mark in just five matches while playing in all of his team’s 40 games.

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He averaged 15.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game this season.

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The Dreamers’ guard is getting hot at the right time, averaging 19 points in his final five games of the regular season.

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One more stat you should know

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David vs. Goliath

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The New Taipei Kings rallied their offense around the perimeter, with their guards Jeremy and Joseph Lin leading the way.

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The team is the highest-scoring team in the league at 99 points per game. It also leads the league with 23.2 assists per game, while also hitting 11.5 threes per game.

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The Dreamers are led by forwards Chris McCullough and Julian Boyd, both of whom averaged a double-double this season.

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They lead the league in rebounding this season, averaging 56.1 rebounds, and 16.3 offensive rebounds in 40 games. The Dreamers’ ability to rack up offensive rebounds helped them regain possession for second-chance points.

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Game schedule

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All times China Standard Time

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• Game 1: New Taipei Kings (Away) vs. Formosa Dreamers (Home), Friday, May 24, 19:00
• Game 2: New Taipei Kings (Away) vs. Formosa Dreamers (Home), Sunday, May 26, 17:00
• Game 3: Formosa Dreamers (Away) vs. New Taipei Kings (Home), Tuesday, May 28, 19:00
• Game 4: Formosa Dreamers (Away) vs. New Taipei Kings (Home), Thursday, May 30, 19:00
• Game 5: New Taipei Kings (Away) vs. Formosa Dreamers (Home), Saturday, June 1, 17:00*
• Game 6: Formosa Dreamers (Away) vs. New Taipei Kings (Home), Monday, June 3, 19:00*
• Game 7: New Taipei Kings (Away) vs. Formosa Dreamers (Home), Wednesday, June 5, 19:00*

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* = if necessary