Where: Studio City Event Center

When: Wednesday, March 18, 20:00 / 20:10 P.M. (On-air / Tip-off) CST

Team Records: Alvark Tokyo (5-1, No. 1 in Group C) / Taoyuan Pauian Pilots (4-2, No. 2 in Group B)

Where to Watch: Ticket Information / Broadcast Information  

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TEAM STATISTIC LEADERS 

Alvark Tokyo 

Points: Sebastian Saiz — 26.0 

Rebounds: Sebastian Saiz — 7.6 

Assists: Kai Toews — 3.5

Steals: Hiromu Nakamura — 1.0 

Blocks: Sebastian Saiz — 0.6

Note: Stats do not include Ryan Rossiter, who is unavailable due to injury 

Taoyuan Pauian Pilots

Points: Lu Chun-Hsiang — 20.1 

Rebounds: Will Artino — 9.7 

Assists: Pai Yao-Cheng — 3.7 

Steals: Will Artino — 1.4

Blocks: Alec Brown — 1.9 

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THE RUNDOWN

Alvark Tokyo enter the EASL Semifinals looking to reach the Championship Game in their debut season, while Taoyuan Pauian Pilots arrive looking to go one better than last year's runners-up finish.

The No. 1 overall seed at 5-1, Alvark cruised through the regular season to earn a semifinal bye, waiting to see who would emerge from the quarterfinals. The answer was Taoyuan, who made their case emphatically with an 89-69 win over the KBL's Seoul SK Knights — a result that left little doubt about the Pilots' quality and intent heading into Friday.

The cross-league record adds an interesting layer. Alvark are a perfect 2-0 against Chinese Taipei opposition this season, while Taoyuan are 2-4 against B.LEAGUE sides overall. It is a number the Pilots will be eager to improve on, and there is no bigger opportunity to do so than this.

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ALVARK TOKYO 

Alvark Tokyo enter the postseason managing an injury list that has followed them throughout the regular season.

Ryan Rossiter, who led the team in rebounds and assists during the regular season, did not travel to Macau due to a lower leg injury. In his absence, Alvark have signed Michael Ou as a replacement. Brandon Davies, the highly anticipated offseason addition heading into 2025-26, also did not make the gameday roster.

The good news is the return of starting point guard Kai Toews, who missed much of last month with an ankle sprain. He has a couple of B.LEAGUE games back under his belt and is expected to start against Taoyuan.

On the court, Alvark's gameplan is well established. They use pin-down screens to free shooters and create driving lanes, while star import Sebastian Saiz operates as the primary creator inside — scoring, drawing contact, and kicking out to capable shooters around him. With Shuto Ando, Taiki Osakabe, and Marcus Foster ready to fire from the perimeter, Alvark have enough weapons to punish any lapse in defensive attention.

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TAOYUAN PAUIAN PILOTS

The Taoyuan Pauian Pilots have a chance to do something no team has done before — reach the EASL Championship Game in back-to-back seasons.

Last year they came agonizingly close, falling to the Hiroshima Dragonflies after a turnover on a potential game-tying possession. The memory of that moment has followed this group all season, and Friday is a chance to make it right.

The focus will naturally fall on Lu Chun-Hsiang, but it was Treveon Graham who stepped up in the quarterfinal win over Seoul SK, finishing with 19 points, six rebounds, and two assists in a performance that served as a reminder of why he was the second-highest points scorer in the entire EASL last season. Alec Brown and Will Artino added a combined 26 points and 16 rebounds, giving Taoyuan a complete team effort when it mattered.

The defensive challenge now shifts from Jameel Warney to Alvark's Sebastian Saiz, who averaged 26 points per game to finish third in the regular season scoring charts. It is a familiar task though. Taoyuan held Warney to just two first-half points in the quarterfinal, showing they are more than capable of neutralizing a star import. The question is whether they can do it again against a different but equally dangerous opponent.

As for Lu, he was quieter than usual against Seoul SK but this is the kind of stage he tends to rise to. The last time Taoyuan faced a B.LEAGUE team in the EASL semifinals, he put up 24 points and walked away with the win.