JOHOR BAHRU (Malaysia) - It was too frustrating a finish for Taoyuan Pauian in the last BCL Asia-East as the Chinese Taipei club's bid of sweeping its way to the championship got spoiled in the Final, of all stages.
If anything, that campaign equipped them with all the needed know-how and whatnot about returning to the Last Dance, which they have definitely been putting into practice in the ongoing 2026 competitions.
"We knew from last year how we can be back there," said Coach Iurgi Caminos, their previous run serving as a blueprint of sorts. "We've been in the Finals, we lost to the Broncos. We know that we can still be there."
The Spanish mentor offered as much after the Pilots cruised past Hi-Tech on Wednesday, 105-74, in a rout that not only marked a triumphant Final 6 debut but brought themselves back to the Semi-Finals as well.
Furthermore, it was their seventh consecutive victory, a streak that dates back to the Group Phase which witnessed the P. League+ outfit win all of their six games to clinch the no. 1 seed in a loaded Group B.
It's exactly the same situation they were in last season.
Taoyuan Pauian also went 6-0 in the preliminaries, and then beat domestic rivals New Taipei Kings in dominant fashion in the Semi-Finals to reach the title round, becoming 1 of 2 teams that qualified for BCL Asia.
But the Broncos of Mongolia spoiled their plans, with Ian Miller & Co. coming away with the 86-77 result at the MBank Arena to complete their own perfect season, going 8-0 overall to annex the crown.
In the present, Caminos and his charges have also lost after winning their first seven games, as they collapsed and bowed to South China Athletic by way of a 110-103 decision no thanks to Isaiah Briscoe's 45 points.
The thing is, the defeat is not as costly as last year's, for they have already taken care of business the night prior, which still means that the Pilots just need two more wins to finish their own story.
And that would make a truly sweet redemption arc if they do.
"Since I've been coaching this group of kids, they never looked much on what happened before. They are always really humble, but they look at what they want - and they will keep fighting for it," he said.
Still, they know that there are others gunning for the very same goal - their tormentors, the Broncos, included, of course. And the Pilots are aware, too, that being hungry won't be enough in getting the job done.
"The goal is to come here and to be the champions. But six teams arrived, and everybody wants to be champions," the 47-year-old bench tactician said. "It's not about how much we want it, it's about how good we play."
Taoyuan Pauian are set to face Dewa United Banten for the chance to not only return to the Final, but to book another trip to the BCL Asia proper. Visit FIBA's official YouTube channel to watch the games for free.
FIBA