Sunday, April 23, 2006

SUPER BASKETBALL LEAGUE POST-SEASON TO BEGIN

Taipei, April 20 (CNA) Taiwanese basketball will be at its best during the coming month as four teams kick off the Super Basketball League (SBL) post-season play that begins Friday, the league announced Thursday.

Two-time defending champions Yulon Dinos will meet Bank of Taiwan and Dacin Tigers will meet Taiwan Beer in the best-of-five first round playoffs. The first-round winners advance to the best-of-seven finals.

Led by national team coach Lee Yun-kwang and star center Tsun Wen-ting, regular season champion Yulon will try to win its third consecutive title after finishing 24 wins and 6 losses in the regular season.

Its opponent will be Bank of Taiwan, the "cinderella team" which made the post-season for the first time in SBL's three-year history with a 15W-15L record. With Yulon regarded as a hands-on favorite, Bank of Taiwan head coach Wei Chen-ming predicted that his underrated team will at least get one win in the series.

The games will take place at the Taipei Physical Education College Gymnasium. Game days of the first-round series are April 21, 22, 23, 26 and 27.

SBL, which was established in 2003, is the most competitive senior-level basketball league in Taiwan. Currently there are seven teams in the league.