TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Taiwan Professional Basketball League (TPBL) hosted the first game of its best-of-seven championship on Monday, with the New Taipei Kings defeating the Kaohsiung Aquas 100-89 at Xinzhuang Gymnasium.
The Kings relied on a strong performance from foreign player Kenny Manigault, who posted 22 points, 21 rebounds, and six assists. Entering the series as the top team in the TPBL, the Kings showed their dominance by pulling ahead to a double-digit lead by halftime, per CNA.
After the game, Manigault said he was satisfied with his performance but expressed frustration about guarding his opponent Craig Sword, who hit several three-pointers. “I will continue to adjust and see what will happen in the next game,” said Manigault.
Newly crowned TPBL regular season MVP Jeremy Lin (林書豪) contributed 12 points but also committed eight turnovers. His younger brother, Lin Shu-wei (林書緯), said the turnovers were due to double-teaming on defense, which forced quicker ball distribution to teammates.
The Aquas also hampered their own chances at the free-throw line, making just 9 of 27 attempts for a conversion rate of 33.3%. Foreign player Kaleb Wesson struggled particularly, making only 1 of 10 shots.
Aquas head coach Mathias Fischer acknowledged the poor free-throw performance after the game, stating it was not up to professional standards. He said missed free throws compromised the team’s ability to win.
Basketball fans also spotted the Hinton brothers in the audience, a pair of college-aged Taiwanese Americans who play for Taiwan’s national team, including at the William Jones Cup held annually in early July.
“I don’t have a favorite team, but Jeremy Lin also went to Harvard, and he helped me adapt to the basketball program, so I must support him,” said 19-year-old Robert Hinton, per VideoLand.
His brother, 21-year-old Adam Hinton, declined to choose sides, though he said many of his friends and coaches supported the Kings.
Reflecting on his year at Harvard, Robert said he had surpassed expectations and thanked his teammates and coaching staff. “Overall, I think I have had a great rookie season. I will continue to trust in the process and pursue my dream of entering the NBA.”
Adam, who currently plays for Cornell University, said he made progress this season and is looking ahead to the next. “Although we almost won the Ivy League championship this season, I hope we can win the championship next season and advance to the NCAA March Madness.”
The Hinton brothers regularly return to Taiwan during summer vacation to reunite with family and train with the national team.
“This is our second home. We really love it here,” said Adam Hinton. He added that this year, they returned two weeks ahead of training camp to spend more time with their grandmother, cousins, and friends.
