Feb. 5, 2025 — Taoyuan Arena, Taoyuan City

The Taoyuan Pauian Pilots clinched a spot in the EASL Final Four 2025 with an 87-61 victory over Hong Kong Eastern on Wednesday.

This was a must-win game for both teams, as each entered with a 3-2 record in their final Group Stage matchup. Backed by a crowd of nearly 5,400, the Pilots dominated from the opening tip, leading a wire-to-wire finish to secure the 26-point win.

Pilots captain Justin Lu Chun-Hsiang was named EASL Player of the Game after scoring a game-high 33 points.

Post-Game Triple:

‍Pilots Advance to EASL Final Four 2025

Two Final Four spots remained up for grabs heading into Wednesday's game. The Ryukyu Golden Kings and Hiroshima Dragonflies of Japan's B.LEAGUE had already secured their places in January.

Hong Kong entered riding a three-game winning streak, while Taoyuan was coming off back-to-back losses to Hiroshima. With identical 3-2 records, the winner would move on to the Final Four.

The Pilots outplayed Hong Kong in three of four quarters, controlling the game from start to finish. They became the first team outside of Japan to clinch a Final Four spot this season.

With the loss, Hong Kong was eliminated from postseason contention.

The Pilots will face Group B winner Ryukyu Golden Kings in the EASL Final Four 2025 semifinals on March 7 in Studio City Macau.

First Quarter Dominance

Taoyuan set the tone right from the opening tip, taking the lead just 34 seconds in on a Treveon Graham free throw and never relinquishing it.

The Pilots poured in 32 points in the first quarter while limiting Hong Kong to just seven. Eastern didn’t score until 4:37 into the game, by which point Taoyuan had built a 14-0 lead.

Taoyuan shot 60% from the field in the opening frame (12-of-20), while Hong Kong managed just 15% (2-of-13) and committed five turnovers.

Although Eastern cut the deficit to 16 by halftime, the early gap proved too much to overcome.

‍Foul Trouble for Eastern

Foul trouble plagued Hong Kong, which committed 21 personal fouls, sending Taoyuan to the free-throw line 23 times.

Starters Hayden Blankley and Chris McLaughlin picked up three fouls each, while point guard Glen Yang was one foul away from ejection. Sixth man Kobey Lam also had four fouls.

The frequent fouls forced Eastern to bench key players, limiting their ability to mount a comeback. In contrast, Hong Kong attempted just nine free throws.

‍EASL Player of the Game: Justin Lu Chun-Hsiang, Taoyuan Pauian Pilots

‍Pilots captain Justin Lu Chun-Hsiang led his team to victory with a standout performance, scoring a game-high 33 points on 12-of-25 shooting (48%). He also contributed five rebounds, three assists, and three steals.

The 2024 P. LEAGUE+ Most Valuable Player was recently named January MVP and will look to carry his strong form into the Final Four against Ryukyu.

‍Stat of the Game: 51-33

‍Taoyuan dominated the boards, out-rebounding Hong Kong 51-33.

Amdy Dieng led the way with 15 rebounds, and five of Taoyuan’s 12 active players grabbed at least five boards. The Pilots also collected 17 offensive rebounds, converting them into 15 second-chance points.

While Chris McLaughlin pulled down 11 rebounds for Eastern, the rest of the team combined for just 22.

‍Quotes of the Game: 

‍Justin Lu Chun-Hsiang on clinching a Final Four berth:

‍“This game was very important for us. We had great teamwork and got the win…To all the fans, I hope to see you in Macau!”

‍Hong Kong Eastern assistant coach Thomas Wong on the team’s season:

‍“The team went from not knowing what to expect to being in a surprising position heading into the final game. Unfortunately, we came up short, but I’m proud of what we accomplished this season and already thinking about how to improve for next year.”

‍Next Games:

‍Taoyuan Pauian Pilots: Semifinal vs. Ryukyu Golden Kings (B.LEAGUE) - Mar. 7, 2025, in EASL Final Four 2025 at Studio City Macau

Hong Kong Eastern: Finished Group Stage with a 3-3 record