BASKETBALL/Braves beat Pilots 87-78, take 3-2 lead in PLG Finals

Taipei, June 15 (CNA) The Taipei Fubon Braves defeated the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots 87-78 in Taoyuan on Sunday to take a 3-2 lead in the 2025-26 P.LEAGUE+ (PLG) Finals.

Braves forward Mouhamed Mbaye came off the bench to score a game-high 24 points, including three three-pointers, in just 24 minutes, while 44-year-old veteran Lin Chih-chieh (林志傑), who is set to retire after the season, added 11 points and six rebounds.

It was the first time that Mbaye, the 2024 PLG first overall pick, came off the bench in the series. Explaining the move, Braves head coach Roger Hsu (許晉哲) said he felt that Mbaye had been training too intensely, which was affecting his performance in games.

"I told them yesterday there would be a lineup change, but I didn't tell them what it would be," Hsu said after the game.

Referring to Mbaye's four-point outing in over 18 minutes in Game 4, Hsu said the forward's efforts to prepare had left his muscles too tense.

"We talked to him to let him understand," Hsu added.

After a Mbaye layup late in the first quarter gave the Braves a 13-11 lead, they remained ahead for the rest of the game, leading by as many as 21 points several times in the third quarter, before taking a 66-50 advantage into the fourth.

The Pilots responded with a 16-3 run over the opening five minutes of the final quarter, capped by an Alec Brown dunk that cut the deficit to 69-66. The Braves, however, answered with a 9-0 run and maintained control the rest of the way.

Braves guard Archie Lee Goodwin III was assessed an unsportsmanlike foul against Pilots guard Li Chia-kang (李家慷) with 43 seconds remaining. Li landed hard on his lower back and was helped off the court. Initial medical examinations ruled out a fracture.

The league later confirmed that the foul was Goodwin's fifth unsportsmanlike foul of the season, resulting in an automatic suspension for Game 6.

Pilots head coach Iurgi Caminos remained confident after the loss, saying there would "definitely" be a Game 7.

The series returns to Taipei Heping Basketball Gymnasium for Game 6 on Tuesday. If necessary, Game 7 will be played in Taoyuan.