Chang Chi-feng made a buzzer-beating three-point bank shot as time expired to help Dacin edge Taiwan Beer 89-88 on the first game day after the Chinese Lunar New Year holiday. Dacin (9-6) beat TB for the first time this season in three meetings and is now only one game behind second-place TB (10-5).
TB point guard Hsu Hao-cheng made a jumper at the top of the key to break the tie with 21.8 seconds left, when the score was 88-86. Wang Chih-chun's three-pointer shot missed the rim but Dacin got the last possession with 2.1 seconds to go and called a timeout.
Chang Chi-feng came through a double-pick to receive the inbound pass before taking two dribbles and firing the desperation shot in front of two TB defenders at the left corner. The bank shot miraculously went in as time expired and started a wild celebration by Dacin players.
It was another heartbreaker for Taiwan Beer. "I was stunned [to see the shot go in], " said TB head coach Yen Jia-hua, who witnessed his team lost to VL on Yang Che-yi's buzzer-beater earlier in the season. He said: "But you have to give credit to Chang."
TB also lost to BOT before the New Year break when Wang Jian-wei missed two potential game-winning free-throws with 2.8 seconds left in the game.
Dacin is on a three-game winning streak after losing three straight.
Yulon 94-73 BOT (Tsun Wen-din 21p+10rb+5a+4blk, Lee Hsueh-lin 14p+5a, Chen Chih-chun 13p+7rb+7a, Wu Chih-wei 12p ; Yua Yin-li 14p, Cheng An-jay 8p+11rb, Wu Yong-jen 11p)
Dacin 89-88 TB (Tien Lei 37p+13rb, Lin Yi-huei 20p, Wang Chih-chun 14p, Chang Chi-feng 11p ; Lin Chi-jay 36p, Chen Shih-nian 20p)
Standings:
Yulon 12-4, TB 10-5, Dacin 9-6, VL 7-7, BOT 7-8, ETSN 5-10, YMY 2-12