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

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‍Where To Watch: 

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To watch the EASL Championship Game, head to the East Asia Super League Instagram and check out our broadcast partners for where to watch the live stream in your region. 

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Storylines: 

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Third Time’s The Charm?

Taoyuan captured its first-ever win over a B. LEAGUE team on March 7, defeating the Ryukyu Golden Kings 71-64. However, as it prepares for EASL’s championship game on Wednesday, the Pauian Pilots have yet to overcome the Hiroshima Dragonflies.

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In consecutive Group A matchups during the regular season, Taoyuan fell to Hiroshima both times. The first was an 84-73 loss at home on Dec. 25, which knocked the Pilots out of the top spot in the group. The second came at Hiroshima Sun Plaza on Jan. 22, where the Dragonflies edged out a 95-92 victory.

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Now, it all comes down to this. The saying goes that it’s hard to beat a team three times, but Hiroshima will look to do just that and claim the EASL Championship in its inaugural season. As for Taoyuan, it hopes to finally get past the Dragonflies in the game that matters most. The Pilots were underdogs in their last win over a B. LEAGUE team—now, they’ll look to exact revenge against a familiar foe.

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3-Point Shootout

In the first semifinal game on March 7, Hiroshima showcased why its 39.3% three-point shooting led the league during the regular season. The Dragonflies rely heavily on the three, and even though they struggled in the semifinal — shooting just 22.9% from deep against the New Taipei Kings — they never shied away from their identity, attempting 35 shots from beyond the arc.

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Taoyuan, meanwhile, isn’t as consistent from three but often looks to the perimeter. In the Pilots’ semifinal matchup, the biggest shots down the stretch — including Alec Brown’s game-sealing three to make it 67-60 with under a minute remaining — came from long range. Statistically, the Pauian Pilots aren’t far off from their upcoming opponents, posting a 33.3% three-point percentage throughout the 2024-25 season.

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Expect plenty of threes to be exchanged between these two teams — and expect many of them to fall when it matters most.

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History On The Line 

Taoyuan’s run to the championship game has already made history. Now in EASL’s second home-and-away season, only one Chinese-Taipei-based team had previously reached the Final Four — New Taipei last year — but the Kings fell short in the postseason, finishing fourth. The Pauian Pilots have already gone a step further, securing a spot in the championship game. Now, they have the chance to become the first Chinese-Taipei-based team to win it all.

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Hiroshima, meanwhile, is aiming to become the second consecutive B. LEAGUE team to capture the EASL title. Last season, the Chiba Jets dominated the field, going a perfect 6-0 in the group stage before winning two more games to claim the championship. While the Dragonflies have suffered one loss this season, they have maintained a similar level of dominance over their opponents.

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With history on the line, Taoyuan is not just looking to cement its place in franchise history but also to achieve a milestone for the entire Chinese-Taipei basketball scene. As for Hiroshima, it has the opportunity to extend the B. LEAGUE’s reign over the EASL for a second straight season.

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Hiroshima Dragonflies’ Players To Watch: 

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#21 Ryu Watanabe — Guard, 6-foot-4

• 2024-25 EASL Season Averages: 6 points, 2 rebounds, 0.6 assists 
• Recorded 16 points, 5 rebounds and 3 steals in EASL Final Four semifinal against the New Taipei Kings
• 2023-24 B. LEAGUE Champion
• Joined the Hiroshima Dragonflies in 2021 
• Watanabe attended Chuo University 
• Watanabe is from Saitama, Japan 

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#13 Dwayne Evans — Forward, 6-foot-6 

• 2024-25 EASL Season Averages: 24 points, 12.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists
• Recorded 20 points and 16 rebounds in EASL Final Four semifinal against the New Taipei Kings
• 2023-24 B. LEAGUE Champion 
• Joined the Hiroshima Dragonflies in 2022 
• Evans played for the Ryukyu Golden Kings (B.LEAGUE) from 2020-2022
• 2-time First-Team All-Atlantic 10 (2013, 2014)
• 2013 Atlantic 10 Tournament MVP 
• 2011 Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team 
• Evans attended St. Louis (2010-2014) 
• Evans is from Bolingbrook, Illinois, USA

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

• 2024-25 EASL Season Averages: 16.8 points, 10.2 rebounds, 5 assists
• Recorded 18 points and 4 rebounds in EASL Final Four semifinal against the New Taipei Kings
• 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 (2015-2019) and Florida (2019-2020)
• Blackshear Jr. is from Orlando, Florida, USA

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Taoyuan Pauian Pilots’ Players To Watch: 

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#69 Lu Chun Hsiang — Guard, 6-foot-3 

• 2024-25 EASL Averages: 19.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists
• Recorded 24 points and 4 rebounds in EASL Final Four semifinal against the Ryukyu Golden Kings
• P. LEAGUE+ All-Time Leading Scorer 
• 2024 P. LEAGUE+ MVP with Taoyuan Pauian Pilots
• 2-time P. LEAGUE+ First-Team of the Year with Taoyuan Pauian Pilots (2023, 2024)
• 2-time P. LEAGUE+ Defensive First-Team of the Year with Taoyuan Pauian Pilots (2023, 2024) 
• 2022 P. LEAGUE+ Sixth-Man of the Year with Taoyuan Pauian Pilots
• 2022 P. LEAGUE+ Second-Team of the Year with Taoyuan Pauian Pilots
• 2021 SBL Rookie of the Year with Taoyuan Pilots
• Lu joined the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots in 2021 
• Lu attended the Taichung National University of Science and Technology
• Lu is from Gongguan, Miaoli, Chinese Taipei

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#24 Treveon Graham — Forward, 6-foot-6 

• 2024-25 EASL Averages: 22.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, 4.7 assists
• Recorded 17 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists in EASL Final Four semifinal against the Ryukyu Golden Kings
• Graham joined the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots in 2024 
• Graham spent time in the NBA with the Charlotte Hornets (2016-18), Brooklyn Nets (2018-19), Minnesota Timberwolves (2019-20) and Atlanta Hawks (2020)  
• Graham went undrafted in the 2015 NBA Draft 
• 2-time First-Team All-Atlantic 10 with Virginia Commonwealth University (2014, 2015) 
• 2013 Second Team All-Atlantic 10 
• 2015 Atlantic 10 Tournament MVP 
• Graham joined the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots in 2024 
• Graham attended Virginia Commonwealth University (2011-2015) 
• Graham is from Washington D.C., USA

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#30 Pai Yao-Cheng — Guard, 6-foot-0

• 2024-25 EASL Averages: 8.4 points, 4 rebounds, 2.9 assists
• Recorded 10 points and 3 rebounds in EASL Final Four semifinal against the Ryukyu Golden Kings
• 2023 P. LEAGUE+ Rookie of the Year 
• Pai joined the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots in 2022 
• Selected as the 3rd overall pick in the 2022 P. LEAGUE+ Draft
• Pai attended I-Shou University (2017-2021)
• Pai is from Chinese Taipei

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Hiroshima By The Numbers:

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Team History

• Founded in 2013
• 2023-24 B.LEAGUE Champions

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2024-25 EASL Statistic Leaders

• Points: Dwayne Evans — 24 ppg
• Rebounds: Dwayne Evans — 12.7 ppg
• Assists: Kerry Blackshear Jr. — 5 apg
• Steals: Takuto Nakamura, Kerry Blackshear Jr. — 1.7 spg
• Blocks: Dwayne Evans — 1.3 ppg

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2024-25 EASL Results

• 2nd in Group A 
• Group stage record: 2-1 
• Game 1: 78-67 win against Hong Kong Eastern (Hong Kong SAR) — Oct. 16, 2024 
• Game 2: 88-75 win against Hong Kong Eastern (Hong Kong SAR) — Oct. 30, 2024 
• Game 3: 80-78 loss against Suwon KT Sonicboom (KBL) — Dec. 4, 2024 
• Game 4: 94-63 win against Taoyuan Pauian Pilots (P. LEAGUE+) — Dec. 25, 2024
• Game 5: 94-63 win against San Miguel Beermen (PBA) — Jan. 8, 2025
• Game 6: 95-92 win against Taoyuan Pauian Pilots (P. LEAGUE+) — Jan. 22, 2025
• EASL Final Four Semifinals: 81-65 win against New Taipei Kings — March 7, 2025

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2024-25 EASL Upcoming Games

• EASL Championship Game — Hiroshima Dragonflies (B. LEAGUE) vs. Taoyuan Pauian Pilots (P. LEAGUE+)  — March 9, 2025 

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Taoyuan By The Numbers: 

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Team History

• Founded in 2020 
• The Pauian Pilots play in the Taoyuan Arena  

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2024-25 EASL Statistic Leaders

• Points: Treveon Graham — 22.8 ppg
• Rebounds: Amdy Dieng, Treveon Graham — 7.8 rpg
• Assists: Treveon Graham — 4.7 apg
• Steals: Lu Chun-Hsiang, Treveon Graham — 1.3 spg
• Blocks: Alec Brown — 1.6 bpg

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2024-25 EASL Results 

• 1st in Group A
• Group stage record: 3-0 
• Game 1: 91-70 win against Suwon KT Sonicboom (KBL) — Oct. 23, 2024
• Game 2: 101-85 win against San Miguel Beermen (PBA) — Nov. 13, 2024
• Game 3: 100-64 win against Suwon KT Sonicboom (KBL) — Dec. 11, 2024 
• Game 4: 94-63 loss against Hiroshima Dragonflies (B. LEAGUE) — Dec. 25, 2024
• Game 5: 95-92 loss against Hiroshima Dragonflies (B. LEAGUE) — Jan. 22, 2025
• Game 6: 87-61 loss against Hong Kong Eastern (HKA1) — Feb. 5, 2025
• EASL Final Four Semifinals: 71-64 win against Ryukyu Golden Kings (B. LEAGUE) — March 7, 2025

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2024-25 EASL Upcoming Games

• EASL Championship Game — Taoyuan Pauian Pilots (P. LEAGUE+) vs. Hiroshima Dragonflies (B. LEAGUE) — March 9, 2025