GAME RECAP | EASL TIP OFF 2025: Lu Shines As Taoyuan Rolls Past Ryukyu 94-80

Pilots Make a Statement, Down Golden Kings to Climb Atop Group B

What Happened

In a rematch of last season’s Final Four, the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots improved to 2-0 against Japan’s Ryukyu Golden Kings with a 94-80 victory. The win gave Taoyuan a dream start and extended Ryukyu’s losing streak to three straight EASL games, a run that began last year with a loss to the Pilots.

Like all EASL Tip Off 2025 games on October 8, the contest began tightly contested before Taoyuan took control in the third quarter. Leading 49-45 at halftime, the Pilots opened the second half on a 27-15 run to build a comfortable cushion, then held on despite dropping the fourth quarter 18-20.

Several players stood out for Taoyuan. Lu Chun-Hsiang, a last year All-EASL Team selection, led the Pilots with 24 points, while new signings Setric Millner Jr. and Will Artino combined for 31 points as Artino also hauled in 10 rebounds. Ryukyu’s Vic Law finished with a game-high 29 points, but the Golden Kings were simply outmatched.

Lu Chun-Hsiang maneuvers past Jack Cooley for a lefty layup and finished with a team-high 24 points Wednesday night.

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What It Means

In the aptly named "Group of Death," Taoyuan now sits atop the table at 1-0, while Ryukyu must regroup at home next week against a retooled Meralco Bolts team that added PBA legends Justin Brownlee and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson.

Taoyuan does not play again until Nov. 2, when they will host the Bolts.

Pai Yao-Cheng stretched forward to finish over Ryukyu’s Hayate Arakawa and finished with 8 points and 6 assists on Wednesday. He was a key part of Taoyuan’s run to last season’s championship game.

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EASL Player of the Game

Lu Chun-Hsiang’s 2024–25 EASL season ended in anguish. Down by two in the championship game with less than 10 seconds to play and the ball in his hands, he was stripped in his own backcourt and Taoyuan lost.

Boy, did he come back strong. The 2-time reigning P. LEAGUE+ MVP notched 24 points on 69.2% shooting while adding three rebounds and three assists, and he went a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line.

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Super Statistic: 0-3

Okay — this is more of a record than a statistic.

EASL Tip Off 2025 was the first time no Japanese team won a Tip Off game, and it also marks the first occasion a Japanese club has lost its EASL season opener.

Last season, both Ryukyu and the Hiroshima Dragonflies began 0–2, with Hiroshima the first Japanese club to suffer a season-opening defeat. As a result, every Japanese team now enters its next gameday 0–1.

Setric Millner Jr. played a key role in Taoyuan’s win over Ryukyu, finishing with 20 points, 4 assists and 3 rebounds.

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Up Next

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.