Bank of Taiwan (14-13) is one step closer to the impossible. The inspiring BOT edged YMY 99-97 Friday to take home its sixth win in the last seven games and is one win away from the first playoff appearance in its 3-year SBL history.
The SBL regular season will be suspended for a month after two games tonight to accomodate the University league UBA, which will be hosting its quarterfinals starting March 18. SBL action will resume from April 7 and close the regular season on April 16.
If BOT manages to upset Yulon tonight, it can clinch the fourth and last playoff seed. Yulon, Dacin and Taiwan Beer have all qualified for the playoffs. BOT will make the playoffs if Videoland loses any of its four remaining games.
BOT head coach Wei Chen-min said: "We don't want to play the waiting game since Videoland's next game is one month away. We want to take the matters in our own hands and make the playoffs [by beating Yulon]."
BOT had five players scoring in double-figures in the close win over last-placed YMY. 165cm point guard Chien Ming-fu had a game-high 24 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists.
Meanwhile, ETSN upset TB 76-75 in the absence of leading scorer Yang Yu-min, who did not suit up for the game due to family decease, and snapped its 4-game losing streak.
Led by O-Yang Jin-hen and Wu Jia-long, who scored 17 apiece, ETSN grabbed its first win vs. the top three teams this season.
YMY dropped both games this week so far and extended its all-time consecutive losing streak record to 23 games.
Yulon defeated VL Friday 100-91 with Chou Shih-yuan exploded for his SBL career-high 33 points and Lee Hsueh-lin scoring 20 to make up for the loss of Chen Chih-chun, who broke his nose last week and is out indefinitely.
March 10
BOT 99-97 YMY
BOT: Chien Ming-fu 24p+9rb+7a, Yang Ching-min 18p, Lin Chun-feng 18p, Wu Yong-jen 14p+5rb+6a, Ju Yong-hong 10p+12rb
YMY: Lo Shing-liang 29p, Chien Jia-hong 17p+7rb, Hsieh Chih-wei 16p+11rb
Yulon 100-91 VL
Yulon: Chou Shih-yuan 33p, Lee Hsueh-lin 20p+6a, Tsun Wen-din 17p+13rb
VL: Lee Chi-yi 31p+10rb, Yang Che-yi 17p, Lai Kuo-hong 16p+9rb
March 11
Dacin 106-80 YMY
Dacin: Tien Lei 24p+9rb, Chang Chi-feng 17p, Lin Yi-huei 17p
YMY: Chien Jia-hong 20p, Zuo Tsun-kai 15p
ETSN 76-75 TB
ETSN: O-Yang Jin-hen 17p, Wu Jia-lung 17p, Huang Bao-tse 12p
TB: Lin Chi-jay 16p, Ho Sho-jen 12p
Standings:
Yulon 20-6, Dacin 18-8, TB 17-8, BOT 14-13, VL 11-15, ETSN 9-17, YMY 2-24