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What: EASL Tip Off 2025 Taipei 

Where: Taipei Heping Gymnasium 

When: Wednesday, Oct. 8, 8:30 p.m. CST 

Team Records: Taoyuan Pauian Pilots (0-0) / Ryukyu Golden Kings (0-0)

Where to Watch: Ticket Information / Broadcast Information 

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PROJECTED STARTERS 

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Taoyuan Pauian Pilots: 

PG: Pai Yao-Cheng — 182cm / 77kg

SG: Lu Chun-Hsiang — 188cm / 82kg

SF: Setric Millner Jr. — 198cm / 92kg

PF: Alec Brown — 216cm / 207kg

C: Will Artino — 211cm / 110kg

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Ryukyu Golden Kings: 

PG: Ryuichi Kishimoto — 176cm / 75kg 

SG: Masahiro Waki — 193cm / 86kg

SF: Vic Law — 201cm / 94kg

PF: Jack Cooley — 206cm / 115kg

C: Alex Kirk — 211cm / 114kg

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THE RUNDOWN 

The Taoyuan Pauian Pilots will host the Ryukyu Golden Kings in the second of two games at EASL Tip Off Taipei 2025. It will be the season opener for both clubs, who also competed in the 2024–25 EASL season.

Although still a young rivalry, Taoyuan and Ryukyu already have history. The two met in the semifinals at EASL Final Four 2025 in Macau SAR, where the Pilots eked out a 71–64 victory to reach the championship game. Ryukyu went on to finish fourth, while Taoyuan ended as runners-up.

Now, the two sides open the new campaign against each other in a rematch of one of last season’s best games.

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THE PILOTS 

Taoyuan enters the 2025–26 EASL season off a 2025 P. LEAGUE+ championship that came just a couple of months after falling short in the EASL Final Four 2025 championship game.

In the offseason, the Pilots retooled their squad but kept their key players. Star guard Lu Chun-Hsiang — now a two-time P. LEAGUE+ MVP and a member of last year’s All-EASL Team — continues his backcourt pairing with Pai Yao-Cheng. Taoyuan also re-signed P. LEAGUE+ Import of the Year Alec Brown and brought back steady import Treveon Graham, a forward who previously spent time in the NBA with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Brooklyn Nets.

Taoyuan also added new faces, most notably Will Artino and Setric Millner Jr. Artino played in last season’s EASL with the Macau Black Bears, averaging 18 points and 14.3 rebounds, while Millner Jr. was a recent signing now entering his second year of professional basketball after three years at U.S. Division I school Toledo. Another player to watch is Li Chia-Kang, a local guard coming off a strong 2024–25 season in which he was named to the P. LEAGUE+ All-Defensive Team and earned Sixth Man of the Year honors.

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THE GOLDEN KINGS 

Ryukyu returns to EASL competition for the third straight season, coming off a campaign where it reached the postseason for the first time in franchise history.

Like the Pilots, the Golden Kings bring back nearly every key player from last year’s run. Ryuichi Kishimoto remains a steady presence at point guard, while naturalized center Alex Kirk is expected to play a major role throughout the regular season. Imports Vic Law and Jack Cooley form a frontcourt pairing that likely creates matchup problems with their size, strength, and athleticism against any opponent in Group B and beyond.

In addition to that core, Keve Aluma returns after a strong 2024–25 EASL campaign where he averaged 21.7 points and 10.7 rebounds across six games. Another player to watch is Masahiro Waki, the reigning B.LEAGUE Rookie of the Year. At just 23 years old, he is quickly establishing himself as one of Japan’s most exciting young point-forwards.

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SPOTLIGHT STORYLINE 

• THE NIGHT KING: The last time these two teams met was in the semifinals at EASL Final Four 2025, when Lu Chun-Hsiang erupted for 24 points to lead Taoyuan into the championship game in their inaugural EASL season. Just as impressive as his scoring total was his accuracy at the line — he went 8-for-8 on free throws against Ryukyu and finished a perfect 17-for-17 over both games that Final Four weekend.

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NEXT UP

Next up in Group B, the Ryukyu Golden Kings will host the PBA’s Meralco Bolts in Okinawa on October 22. The following week, on November 2, Taoyuan will also face Meralco at home.

Want to catch the next EASL game? The full 2025-26 season schedule is available on our website and Instagram.