Taoyuan improves to 3-0, becomes third-ever EASL team to do so

December 11, 2024 — Studio City Event Center, Macau SAR 

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The Taoyuan Pauian Pilots improved to 3-0 at the Macau Classic, defeating the Korean Basketball League’s (KBL) Suwon KT Sonicboom. Taoyuan jumped out to a 34-17 lead after the first quarter and never looked back, ultimately capturing a commanding 100-64 win. The Pauian Pilots were led by Treveon Graham’s game-high 27 points while Alec Brown chipped in with 22. 

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For Suwon KT, Wednesday’s loss sees it fall to third place in Group A just a week after it captured an 80-78 victory over the B.LEAGUE’s Hiroshima Dragonflies. Fielding just one import in Rayshaun Hammonds, the 6-foot-9 forward led his team with 15 points and seven rebounds. 

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Post-game Triple 

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1. Taoyuan Commands the Boards

Taoyuan convincingly won the rebounding battle against Suwon KT, pulling down 52 boards to the Sonicboom’s 37. Graham registered 10 rebounds while Amdy Dieng produced a stellar showing off the bench to notch a team-high 13. 

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Of Taoyuan’s 52 total rebounds, 12 of them were on the offensive glass, usually coming by way of a Brown tip-in. Amidst a shorter Suwon KT lineup, due to the Korean team using just one import on Wednesday, Brown tallied four offensive boards. And when he wasn’t securing easy putbacks, the 7-foot center found his teammates for uncontested perimeter looks. 

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Throughout its three-game win streak to begin the 2024-25 East Asia Super League (EASL)  season, the Pauian Pilots are yet to be outrebounded. It’s been a key theme in their undefeated campaign so far. The closest any team has gotten was on Nov. 13 when San Miguel Beermen came within three of Taoyuan’s rebounding total (51-48). The outcome of that game? A dominant 101-85 Pauian Pilots’ win. 

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2. Suwon’s 3-point Struggles

Suwon KT shot a season-high 50 3-pointers in their loss to Taoyuan. However, the Sonicboom only converted 20% of its attempts, totaling just 10 makes from behind the arc. Shooting guard Han Huiwon led KT from 3-point territory with four makes and point guard Park Seonwoong. 

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At Suwon KT’s post-game press conference, head coach Song Young-jin stressed the reason why his team shot so many 3’s was due to their lack of height inside. At 6-foot-9, Hammonds was usually the tallest KT player on the floor. So to compensate, the Sonicboom opted to string together passes until they found the best looking outside shot. 

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Regardless of whether KT lacked a paint presence on Wednesday or not, it hasn’t shot the ball well this season. Despite being at 0.500 through four games, the Sonicboom shot 30% from range in their opener against SMB before mustering just 21% in a 91-70 loss to Taoyuan in their first meeting of the season on Oct. 23. The Macau Classic marked the latest rendition of how KT errantly relied on its outside shot to no avail. 

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3. The Pilots’ Big 3

For the second consecutive contest, Graham, Brown and Taoyuan point guard Lu Chun-Hsiang finished in double-digit scoring. Lu, who was recently named to EASL’s Team of the Month for November, notched 17 points, three rebounds and three assists against Suwon KT. Last time out, all three combined for a whopping 77 points in the Pauian Pilots’ victory over San Miguel on Nov. 13. 

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Offensively, everything Taoyuan does revolves around Graham, Brown and Lu. In a typical halfcourt set, Lu will curl off a series of screens and either look to attack or dish. The players he usually passes to ends up being Brown — in a post-up or pick-and-pop situatio — or Graham for an aggressive downhill drive. 

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For most teams, a heavy reliance on just three players could be deemed dangerous. But for Taoyuan, it’s worked wonders. In the Pauian Pilots’ season-opener against Suwon KT on Oct. 23, the Sonicboom held Lu to just seven points but Graham and Brown picked up the slack to tally 32 and 25, respectively. Since then, the trio has been nothing short of unstoppable. 

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EASL Player of the Game: Treveon Graham — Taoyuan Pauian Pilots 

Treveon Graham earned his second EASL Player of the Game honor this season after leading Taoyuan to its third straight win with a 27-point, 10-rebound performance. What’s even more impressive is that the 6-foot-6 forward shot 84.6% from the field and went a perfect 4-for-4 from 3. 

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With the Pauian Pilots comfortably leading Group A at the midseason mark, having played just one home game, they’re in prime position for a Final Four berth. Graham has been a core factor in the team’s success, averaging 28 points, 8.3 rebounds and five assists. Both domestically and in EASL play, not many can stop the former NBA journeyman in transition on his favored right hand. 

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Stat of the Game: 24.3 

Taoyuan is just one of two EASL teams this year to remain undefeated through its first three games. The other resides in Group B and were 2023-24 B.LEAGUE runners-up. However, while the Ryukyu Golden Kings hold a slim win margin of just five points, the Pauian Pilots have been far more dominant. 

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Taoyuan has won its first three games by a league-best average of 24.3 points. 

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On both ends of the floor, the Pauian Pilots have been practically flawless. Offensively, they’ve reached the 100-point threshold twice and have never dipped below 90 in a contest. Defensively, Taoyuan held the Suwon KT Sonicboom to a season-low 70 points on Oct. 23 just to break its own record at the Macau Classic by limiting the same team to 64 points. 

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Leading up to their inaugural EASL campaign, the reigning P. LEAGUE+ looked promising. Now, it’s safe to say the Pauian Pilots somehow exceed expectations with every game that passes. 

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Next Games: 

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Taoyuan Pauian Pilots 

• Home vs. Hiroshima Dragonflies (B.LEAGUE) — Dec. 25, 2024 (Taoyuan Arena)

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Suwon KT Sonicboom 

• Away vs. Hong Kong Eastern (Hong Kong SAR) — Jan. 7, 2025 (Southorn Stadium)