Taipei, Jan. 8 (CNA) Eight-time NBA All Star Dwight Howard on Sunday posted a double-double of 29 points and 11 rebounds, which went for naught as the Taoyuan Leopards collected their ninth consecutive loss, losing a close fought game 114-111 on the road to the Taipei-based TaiwanBeer HeroBears.
The 37-year-old Howard scored 29 points, 11 rebounds, and one assist, shooting 12-13 from the floor, including 1-1 from beyond the arc, and 4-5 from the free throw line at Taipei Tianmu Campus Gymnasium in his first game back after sitting out the last three games.
At the post-game press conference, Howard commended his teammates for their effort and energy.
"We just got to keep going, I never stop believing in this team and what we can accomplish," Howard said. "The effort, the energy, the intensity from everybody we played tonight was great, the crowd was amazing, and it inspired us to keep playing."
Leopards guard Michael Efevberha led all scorers with 41 points, 12 rebounds, seven dimes, two steals, and one block.
During the game on Sunday, both teams kept up their hustle right from the jump, but the HeroBears ended the first quarter 35-31 ahead.
Both sides continued to secure good runs in the second quarter but at the half way mark the HeroBears had extended their lead 63-57, after the Taipei-based club's point guard Tsao Xun-xiang (曹薰襄) made a two-pointer buzzer beater from the top of the key.
Tsao continued to turn up the heat in the second half, leading all scorers by draining 10 points in the third quarter for his team to go into the last quarter with a 92-84 lead.
The Leopards rallied in the fourth quarter with Howard and Efevberha putting up a two-man game to level the score at 111-111 with only one minute and 40 seconds until the end of the game.
From there, a bucket by HeroBears international recruit Perry Jones and a free-throw by Tsao put the Taipei team back in the lead 114-111 with 13 seconds left until the final buzzer.
With limited time available, the Leopards were unable to make up the deficit as the Taoyuan team's last offensive play saw Efevberha's shot bounce off the front iron.
With the loss, the Leopards are last in the six-team T1 LEAGUE standings with a 1-10 record and seven games behind the leaders the New Taipei CTBC DEA. The HeroBears are third in the standings with a 7-5 card and are 1.5 games behind the DEA.
Aquas overpower DEA
Also, in the T1 LEAGUE on Sunday, defending champions the Kaohsiung Aquas overpowered the New Taipei CTBC DEA 105-87 at Kaohsiung Arena after suffering a 101-92 loss to the Tainan TSG GhostHawks a night earlier.
Aquas center Mindaugas Kupšas led all scorers for the second night in a row, with a double-double of 21-points, 11 rebounds, and three assists.
The Aquas are second in the T1 LEAGUE standings with an 8-5 record and are one game behind the DEA, which lead the league with a 9-4 card.
Steelers break losing streak
In Taiwan's other professional basketball league, the P. LEAGUE+, the Kaohsiung Steelers broke their seven-game consecutive losing streak by defeating the Formosa Taishin Dreamers 105-88 on Sunday at Kaohsiung Fengshan Stadium.
Steelers guard "Jay" Jamarcus Mearidy led all scorers with 25 points, shooting 7-11 from the floor, including 4-7 from beyond the arc and 7-7 from the stripe.
The win came one day after the Steelers announced Taiwanese basketball legend, Cheng Chih-lung (鄭志龍), as its new head coach.
A highly celebrated basketball player, who retired in 2001 and later took coaching roles, Cheng has captained Taiwan at various international tournaments, winning gold in men's basketball in the 1997 East Asian Games, held in Busan, South Korea.
Cheng was also the first Taiwanese to play in China's Chinese Basketball Association where he played alongside Chinese basketball icon Yao Ming (姚明) with the Shanghai Sharks from 1999-2001.
After the latest win, the Steelers are last in the six-team P. LEAGUE+ standings with a 2-3 record and 10 games behind the leaders the New Taipei Kings. Meanwhile, the Dreamers are fifth with a 5-8 card and six games behind the Kings.
Lioneers edge Braves
Also, in the P. LEAGUE+ Sunday, the Hsinchu Jko Lioneers edged defending champions the Taipei Fubon Braves 94-92 at Hsinchu County Stadium.
The Lioneers and the Braves are now tied third in the P. LEAGUE+ standings with 7-8 records and both trail the New Taipei Kings at the top of the standings by five games.
