Taoyuan: The Taoyuan Pauian Pilots of Taiwan’s P. LEAGUE+ (PLG) claimed a win over the Meralco Bolts of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), securing an 82-72 victory at home on Sunday, advancing to a 2-0 record in the 2025-26 East Asia Super League (EASL) season.

According to Focus Taiwan, the combined efforts of William Artino, Alec Brown, and reigning PLG MVP Lu Chun-hsiang, who together scored 52 points, were instrumental in overcoming the Bolts. The Bolts’ attempt to counter was led by Ismael Romero with 26 points and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson with 22 points. Both Artino and Romero dominated the boards, each grabbing 17 rebounds.

This win represented the Pilots’ fourth straight victory to kick off the new professional basketball season in Asia, including two wins in both the PLG and the EASL, each by at least a 10-point margin. The Pilots secured their lead late in the first quarter and expanded it to as many as 22 points during the third quarter. Despite a late game surge from the Bolts, trimming the lead to six points with 32 seconds remaining, the Pilots held firm.

Pilots head coach Iurgi Camino acknowledged the challenging second half, describing it as a rollercoaster but praised his team for their consistent defensive performance which helped maintain their lead despite struggles with their three-point shooting.

Bolts assistant coach Luigi Trillo mentioned their team has been dealing with injuries and the difficulties of integrating foreign players specifically for EASL games, a requirement not present in PBA competition. Despite these challenges, Trillo commended the Pilots for their strong performance.

The Bolts are set to host the Pilots in their next matchup on Saturday.

The EASL, now in its third season, operates as an international 12-team league independent of the professional leagues in individual countries, akin to a Champions League for East Asian basketball teams. It includes top teams from Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Macau, Mongolia, and Taiwan, competing for a US$1 million first prize over a 42-game schedule. The second-place team receives US$500,000, and the third-place team earns US$250,000.