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The East Asia Super League is down to just three games in its final two playdates, with an eye towards the upcoming EASL Final Four scheduled to take place in Macau.
Stakes are high, as two spots are still up for grabs, with the two participants from the B. LEAGUE in Hiroshima and Ryukyu locking in their berths earlier.
The first spot will be determined later tonight, as Taoyuan Pauian Pilots host Hong Kong Eastern in a virtual play-in.
Both teams are coming in with contrasting form in arriving to their 3-2 record, as the Pilots losing back-to-back games after winning its first three, while the visitors have won three straight after losing its first two.
Hong Kong's winning streak has been anchored by their inside presence. Chris McLaughlin has averaged 17.8 points and 14.2 rebounds, netting double-doubles in all of their five prelims matches.
If Taoyuan is going to arrest their skid, Lu Chun-Hsiang and their reinforcements Treveon Graham and Alec Brown need to do even more heavy lifting. The trio combine for 63.6 points and almost twenty rebounds.
Preliminary action officially concludes one week later, with both Filipino teams going on the road.
The more notable matchup features the New Taipei Kings against the Meralco Bolts. Even with the inferior record at 2-3, the PBA squad can actually move into second by defeating the 3-2 P.League+ champions.
To defeat the Kings, Meralco will need Akil Mitchell's services. His health has been a concern, having missed not just the last couple of games in the PBA to cap off their eliminations stint, but also in their last game against Ryukyu in the EASL. Mitchell has averaged 25 points and twenty rebounds in continental play and will prove to be a huge factor.
New Taipei has been an offensive juggernaut, leading the league in scoring with 97.5 points. This has been anchored by Kenny Manigault, who was named as the EASL Player of the Month for January, averaging sixteen points, over ten rebounds, and seven assists per game while converting 9-of-10 from the free throw line across both games. Manigault also made history with his triple-double against Busan KCC, netting a 17-10-10, becoming the second player in the league's history to pull off the feat.
Unfortunately, that same game saw Jeremy Lin incur a lower leg injury, limiting his contributions to just five points, two rebounds, and an assist in just under 8.5 mins of action. The Harvard alum also made headlines by being named as one of the coaches for the Castrol Rising Stars this coming NBA All-Star Weekend.
The other matchup features San Miguel traveling to Korea to face Suwon KT. Both teams already eliminated and are hoping to end their continental campaigns on a bright note.
The Beermen have yet to win a game in the EASL this season, and is fresh from concluding their participation in the PBA Commissioner's Cup at 5-7.
They will face off against a Sonicboom side hoping to finish their continental stint at .500, and could potentially have JD Cagulangan make his continental debut. Cagulangan made his first appearance with Suwon on January 11, a few days after the KBL side played its penultimate game in the prelims.
The two-time UAAP champion has averaged 16.7 minutes in Korea, although he played less then ten minutes for the first time this season in their last game against KCC this past weekend.
Cignal has the rights to the EASL games this season, with tonight's matchup to be shown via Pilipinas Live.
