What Happened 

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For the 2025–26 season, the East Asia Super League has expanded again, partnering with the Mongolian Basketball Association’s 'The League' to include its champion.

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Now, the EASL berth comes down to two teams — the Bishrelt Metal and the Xac Broncos — after both advanced to the Finals by winning their semifinal series in seven games.

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Here’s a look at how the first three games have played out:

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Game 1 — Bishrelt Metal 85 — 82 Xac Broncos (Metal Lead Series 1-0) 

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In an exciting start to the championship series, the Bishrelt Metal edged the Xac Broncos 85-82 to take a 1-0 lead.

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The game stayed tight through the first three quarters, with neither team able to pull away. Early on, the Metal built a few double-digit leads, while the Broncos answered by grabbing a 9-point advantage midway through the third. But the real action came in the final period.

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With under four minutes left and the Broncos up 70-66, star imports Byron Wesley (Metal) and Ian Miller (Broncos) went back and forth trading buckets. Every time Miller scored, Wesley came right back with a jumper of his own.

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At the 1:40 mark, Miller tied the game at 80-80. And after both sides scored on their next possessions, Wesley drilled a deep three to give the Metal an 85-82 lead with two seconds left.

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Miller got a look at a game-tying three at the buzzer, but it came up short.

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Wesley finished with a game-high 40 points, while Miller led the Broncos with 25.

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Game 2 — Xac Broncos 83 — 81 Bishrelt Metal (Series Tied 1-1) 

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After dropping Game 1, the Xac Broncos bounced back in impressive fashion, taking down the Bishrelt Metal 83-81 to even the series at 1-1.

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Much like the opener, Game 2 was a tight battle, but this time the Broncos were in control for most of the night, leading by as many as 12 points in the second quarter. The Metal, however, chipped away at the deficit in the second half and eventually grabbed their first lead of the game, 81-80, on a Byron Wesley elbow jumper with 1:55 left. Wesley finished with 16 points, while Uuganbayar Tumenbayar added 20 for the Metal to keep them within striking distance.

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Facing their first deficit of the night, the Broncos turned to veteran forward Bilguun Battuvshin, who calmly knocked down a clutch right-wing 3-pointer to put Xac back in front 83-81 with 1:37 remaining. The Broncos, who weathered a 0-point outing from star Ian Miller, leaned on the heroics of five double-digit scorers, led by Ikhbayar Chuluunbaatar’s 18 points on a perfect 4-for-4 from deep.

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Neither team scored again the rest of the way, and the Broncos held on to their slim lead to grab the win.

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Game 3 — Xac Broncos 84 — 70 Bishrelt Metal (Xac Broncos Lead Series 2-1) 

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The Broncos made it two straight wins in the series, pulling away from Bishrelt Metal with a convincing 84-70 victory.

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Forward Byron Wesley got the Metal off to a strong offensive start, helping them stay close through the first half. Even deep into the third quarter, Bishrelt remained within a possession or two. But with just over 20 seconds left in the period, Munkhtuvshin Davaadorj knocked down a clutch three — one of only two he hit all night — to give the Broncos a 61–52 lead.

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That shot swung the momentum. The Metal couldn’t close the gap in the fourth and trailed by double digits the rest of the way. The Broncos kept the offense flowing, moving the ball well and hitting outside shots, while Ian Miller delivered another standout performance with 27 points to help hold off Wesley’s 31-point effort.

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What It Means 

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The Broncos’ win in Game 3 gives them a 2-1 lead in ‘The League’ Finals, putting them just two victories away from claiming the championship and punching their ticket to the 2025-26 EASL season.

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But with both the Broncos and Bishrelt Metal set to compete in this year’s Basketball Champions League Asia, the Finals will take a break for just over 20 days. It’s an unusual pause that could shake things up, especially for the Broncos, who won’t have the momentum of back-to-back wins on their side when play resumes.

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If the Broncos stay on track, ‘The League’ champion — and future Mongolian EASL representative — could be crowned as early as Monday, May 19. If the Metal rally to extend the series, Games 5 and 6 are already scheduled, with Game 7’s date still to be determined.

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Up Next 

• Game 4: Bishrelt Metal vs. Xac Broncos — May 17 (Xac Broncos lead best-of-seven series 2-1) 

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• Game 5: Bishrelt Metal vs. Xac Broncos — May 19

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• Game 6 (if necessary): Bishrelt Metal vs. Xac Broncos — May 21

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• Game 7 (if necessary): Bishrelt Metal vs. Xac Broncos — TBD