Basketball's Kaohsiung Aquas made history on Saturday after securing the inaugural T1 LEAGUE championship with a 103-100 win against the Taichung Wagor Suns in Game 3 of the playoff finals.
The Aquas completed a three-game sweep in the best-of-five series at the Sun's home court at National Taiwan University of Sport in Taichung, with Aquas head coach Brendan Joyce crediting the win to his team's hard work throughout the season.
"I feel very privileged," Joyce said. "Thank you, the people of Taiwan. Thank you, the people of Kaohsiung, we're bringing the first trophy home of the T1 championship."
Aquas small forward Kevin Hu (???), who averaged 21.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, and three assists per game in the finals, was awarded Finals MVP.
He thanked all the staff and supporters of the Kaohsiung team and said the honor of winning MVP should belong with all of his teammates.
"Without you, I would not be getting this prize. I thank you all," Hu said. "This season has been long and everyone has worked very hard."
Aquas CEO Wilson Lee (???) thanked the Suns, saying they were a very respectable opponent that had "made us improve."
Game 3 was a back-and-forth affair with no side ever leading by more than single digits.
In the final minute of the fourth quarter, Suns guard Eric Ting (???) delivered a layup to the basket to tie the score 100-100 with 26 seconds left until the final buzzer.
In the next possession, after a time out, Aquas playmaker Jason Brickman dished a dime to teammate Xavier Alexander to bury a bucket from beyond the arc, lifting the score to 103-100 with only three seconds left in the game, forcing the Suns to call a timeout.
In the last possession, the Suns inbounded from the front end of the court, where Anthony Tucker took and missed the last shot before the buzzer.
Six teams competed in the T1 LEAGUE's inaugural 2021-2022 season, with the Aquas and Suns joined by the New Taipei CTBC DEA, the Taipei-based TaiwanBeer HeroBears, the Taoyuan Leopards, and the Tainan TSG GhostHawks.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel