Where: Huaqiao University, Quanzhou, Fujian, China

When: Sunday, January 4, 3 p.m. CST

Team Records: Taoyuan Pauian Pilots (2-1) / Macau Black Bears (0-2)

Where to Watch: Ticket Information / Broadcast Information 

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PROJECTED STARTERS 

Taoyuan Pauian Pilots

PG: Pai Yao-Cheng — 182cm / 77kg

SG: Lu Chun-Hsiang — 188cm / 82kg

SF: Treveon Graham — 198cm / 100kg

PF: Will Artino — 210cm / 111kg

C: Alec Brown — 216cm / 107kg

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Macau Black Bears 

PG: Ye Rui Feng —  180cm / N/A

SG: Damian Chong Qui  — 172cm / 70kg

SF: Omari Peek-Green  — 198cm / 99kg
PF: Guo Yuchen — 205cm / N/A

C: Samuel Deguara — 230cm / 130kg

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‍TEAM STATISTIC LEADERS 

Taoyuan Pauian Pilots

Points: Lu Chun-Hsiang — 20.3

Rebounds: Will Artino — 11.3
Assists: Pai Yao-Cheng — 3.5
Steals: Will Artino — 1.8 

Blocks: Alec Brown — 1.3 

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Macau Black Bears

Points: Damian Chongqui — 24.8 

Rebounds: Omari Peek-Green — 6.8 

Assists: Damian Chongqui — 6.8 (4th in EASL)
Steals: Phoenix Shackelford — 2.0 (5th in EASL)

Blocks: Samuel Deguara — 1.8 (3rd in EASL)

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THE RUNDOWN 

The Macau Black Bears and Taoyuan Pauian Pilots meet for the second time this season, with the matchup also marking EASL’s first-ever game in China. The game will be played at Huaqiao University in Quanzhou, Fujian Province, adding another milestone to the league’s expanding footprint.

The two teams last faced off on December 14, when Taoyuan produced the largest comeback win in EASL history. After falling behind 51–25 with 5:56 left in the first half, the Pilots stormed back to claim a 104–86 victory. Lu Chun-Hsiang earned Player of the Game honors in that contest, pouring in 26 points for his second such award of the season.

This time, Macau returns with a clear motive. With the Black Bears already eliminated from postseason contention, revenge will be on their minds as they look to play spoiler. For Taoyuan, the stakes are higher. Sitting atop Group B, the Pilots can move to 4-1 with a win and head into their final regular-season game with momentum firmly on their side and postseason positioning nearly secured.
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THE PILOTS

This is a massive spot for the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots. A win would put them in position to do just about everything but officially lock up a postseason berth, which would make it two straight trips to the playoffs after last year’s run to a runner-up finish. 

Lu Chun-Hsiang continues to lead the way. The reigning All-EASL Team honoree is averaging just over 20 points per game, building on a 2024-25 season in which he led the league in total scoring with 158 points. Treveon Graham, who finished second in total points last season, is also trending up after returning from an ACL injury and should play a bigger role than he did in the first meeting with Macau.

Taoyuan’s depth showed in the comeback win against the Black Bears last time out, with Chen Chiang Shuang scoring 12 points on 66.7 percent shooting and Amdy Dieng providing a major lift with a 13-point, 14-rebound double-double. Another key storyline concentrates on Taoyuan center Alec Brown, who needs 10 rebounds to join EASL’s 200-point, 100-rebound club and become just the fourth player to reach the milestone — joining Jameel Warney, Sani Sakakini and Kenny Manigault. 

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THE BLACK BEARS

Macau enters the matchup as an underdog once again, even while playing at home, but it is a role the Black Bears are comfortable embracing. That mindset starts with 5-foot-8 guard Damian Chong Qui, the engine of the offense. EASL’s all-time assists leader with 81 and counting, Chong Qui has been just as impactful as a scorer, recording 20-plus points in 10 straight EASL games across the past two seasons.

He is far from alone. 7-foot-6 Sam Deguara, one of the tallest players in professional basketball, is averaging 14 points and 10.7 rebounds per game, while Omari Peek-Green comes in with momentum after a standout performance against the Ryukyu Golden Kings on December 17, when he finished with 28 points and eight rebounds.

Another name to keep an eye on is Ye Run Feng. The young college prospect impressed with 13 points in his last EASL appearance on November 15, 2025, and if Taoyuan gives him space, he has the aggressive mindset capable of swinging the game in a hurry.

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SPOTLIGHT STORYLINE ‍

A TOP OFFENSE VS. A STRUGGLING DEFENSE

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It’s a top offense against a struggling defense. The Black Bears are winless through four games, and those losses have come with a cost. The Black Bears are allowing 94 points per game, the highest mark in the league.

That is a tough recipe against a Taoyuan offense that already proved it can explode in this matchup. In their first meeting, the Pilots put up 104 points, the most they have ever scored in an EASL game. Across their 12 total EASL games spanning this season and last, Taoyuan has reached the 100-point mark just three times, with that memorable comeback win against Macau standing as the most emphatic of them all.