November 15, 2023 – Taipei Heping Basketball Gymnasium, Taipei City, Chinese Taipei

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After a pendulum first half, the Taipei Fubon Braves emerged victorious over TNT Tropang Giga, 106-97, in this evening’s Group A game in Taipei City. Fubon claimed their first victory after starting the season 0-2. TNT are still searching for their first win.

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Post-game triple

‍1. Singletary wakes up in the second half  

Michael Singletary woke up from a nine-point slumber in the first half and scored 17 points in the second half. He had 26 points on 10-for-20 shooting, and grabbed 10 rebounds.

Singletary scored eight points early in the second half, helping to establish an eight-point lead, 70-62. Fubon led for the entirety of the second half.

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2. Johnson to the rescue

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, who had 33 points, helped TNT Tropang Giga inch within three points of their opponents midway through the fourth quarter.

A Johnson-Singletary pick-and-roll pushed the Fubon Braves lead to five points. Then a defensive board by Johnson fuelled an easy offensive transition three, made by Kai-Chieh Hung. Hung’s triple established a 10-point lead with less than four minutes left.  

Johnson was instrumental in establishing momentum for Fubon and led the team with 29 points on an incredible 10-for-14 (71.43 percent) shooting from the field.

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3. Reliance on role players

Taipei Fubon Braves did not have to solely rely on stars like TNT Tropang Giga did. Singletary and Johnson scored 52 percent of the Braves’ points. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Quincy Miller scored 69 percent for TNT.

Sedrick Barefield poured in 21 points on 7-for-14 shooting, and Nigerian international student Ifeanyi Eboka dropped 13 points.

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EASL Player of the Game: Michael Singletary, Taipei Fubon Braves

Michael Singletary was the EASL Player of the Game after recording a team-high 26 points, and initiating Fubon’s early second-half surge.

Singletary also displayed his playmaking ability with six assists. One of these came from an alley-oop pass to Johnson in one of the plays that turned the game in the Braves’ favor.

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Stats of the day

Shooting above 50 percent from the field, and above 40 percent from downtown, are elite numbers. Taipei Fubon Braves shot 50.65 percent from the field – 53.85 percent from the two-point area and 44 percent from the three-point range.

In the first half, Fubon had only one shot that came outside of the painted two or three-point area, but they diversified their scoring into the mid-range after halftime. In the second half, Singletary made his lone mid-range, Johnson made two, while Barefield attempted two and Eboka made one.

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Post-game press conference

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Next games

Taipei Fubon Braves: away vs. TNT Tropang Giga (December 20)

TNT Tropang Giga: away vs. Anyang Jung Kwan Jang Red Boosters (December 6)