TPE – Yang dazzles in OT for TB to regain SBL title

TAIPEI CITY (SBL) - Veteran forward Yang Ching-Min had an MVP performance to help Taiwan Beer clinch the SBL title thanks to an 83-78 overtime win over Dacin Tigers in Game 5 of the Finals at Sinjhuang Gymnasium in New Taipei City on Friday.

Taiwan Beer had won the first three games of the best-of-seven series before Dacin Tigers pulled one back winning the Game 4.

It was the second time in the series that the contest went to overtime. All five games were decided by five or fewer points, making it of the most closely-contested finals in SBL history.

Yang led all scorers with 23 points, but most importantly, scored seven of his team’s 14 points in the extra session after the teams were locked at 69 at the end of regulation.

With the game tantalizingly poised at 76-75 in his team’s favour, Yang sank a three-pointer that gave Taiwan the final push needed.

The ‘Beer Crew’ proved too smart to squander that advantage and held on to regain the title they last won in 2007-08 incidentally beating Dacin Tigers on that occasion too.

“The support I received from my team-mates was a big boost for me and that was what it took,” Yang said.

American Emmanuel Jones and Wu Tai-ho gave Yang some needed support.

Jones hauled in a game-high 14 rebounds to go with his 19 points, while Wu could not miss in the paint on his way to 17 points and 13 boards.

Chang Chih-Feng paced Dacin Tigers with 17 points.

Alexus Foyle, who had scored a game-high in each of the four previous games, was held to 16 points.

Dacin finished runners-up for the second year in a row, having lost last year’s finals to Yulon Luxgen, who they swept in this year's semi-finals.

FIBA Asia