San Miguel Beer, Meralco to headline EASL season opener
The East Asia Super League (EASL) Home and Away launches its 2024-25 season, kicking off a thrilling double-header at the SM Mall of Asia Arena on Wednesday, October 2.
Two PBA basketball champions will banner the opening games with the reigning Commissioner’s Cup victors San Miguel Beermen will face Korean Basketball League finalist Suwon KT Sonicboom in the first game of the night, while PBA Philippine Cup winners Meralco Bolts will then take on Macau Black Bears.
“We feel that tomorrow's games will be a great way to launch the 2024-2025 season,” Banjo Albano, Head of Philippines for the East Asia Super League, told the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.
The magnitude of how much the Philippine fans love the game of basketball propelled Albano and his company to conduct the EASL tip-off in the country, citing Manila as the best place to commence this year’s season opener.
“Not only is it an honor, but really more of an obligation to grow the game here locally as well. So, once the chance came about scheduling the games here in Manila, the whole team, Adam included, we had a great deal of discussion, and we felt that Manila would be the best place to kick off the season.”
Heading into the second season, EASL has recently expanded in terms of number of teams. From previously having eight teams, they stretched the participating teams into 10.
“We have added a team from Hong Kong and from Macau. So, we will be playing 34 games, starting with tomorrow, on the 2nd of October. The games will then go all the way through, all across about six months, and finish on the 9th of March,” said Vice President and Head of Commercial and Broadcast Operations, Adam Zecha.
“This will be 30 games during the group stage, four games during our playoffs, which is our final four. So, it is bigger. It is a bigger season than we had last season,” he added.
With EASL welcoming the expansion of participating teams within the neighboring countries, possibilities of inviting leagues from Australia and New Zealand entered the discourse as they are also playing in the FIBA Asia.
Zecha explained that when there are champions of Asia playing each other, it attracts a lot of attention. It gets a lot of interest from different leagues around the region close by, as well as further away.
“We enjoy that, we like that, we welcome it. We want to be able to have the best teams playing across the world,” he said. “We need to work on the logistics on how we will make that happen. There are a lot of conversations going on about how to best structure something like that.”
Zecha even reckoned that they are not closing their doors to that opportunity in the future as they are always having conversations with other leagues about having more teams to join.
In the previous edition, the Japanese team Chiba Jets won the championship with Philippine representatives, TNT Tropang Giga and Meralco Bolts failing to make it to the Final Four.
No announcement yet on the location for the Final Four playoffs as the finishing season was held in Cebu last year.
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The East Asia Super League (EASL) is officially set to raise the curtain on its new season with a twin opening in Taipei and Tokyo on October 8, 2025 — a move that reflects the league’s expanding reach and growing stature as Asia’s premier basketball competition.
All eyes in Taiwan will be on the Taipei Heping Basketball Gymnasium, which will host a blockbuster doubleheader featuring some of the region’s most decorated clubs.
The action tips off with a clash between the B.LEAGUE champions Utsunomiya Brex and the P. LEAGUE+ runners-up Taipei Fubon Braves. Utsunomiya, led by veteran guard Makoto Hiejima, entered as one of Japan’s most successful franchises. The Braves, meanwhile, look to prove their resilience after falling short in a grueling seven-game finals series last season, banking on the leadership of Chinese Taipei legend Lin Chih-Chieh.
The second game of the night brings a rematch between the P. LEAGUE+ champions Taoyuan Pauian Pilots and Japan’s Ryukyu Golden Kings. Their last encounter came in the 2025 EASL Final Four semifinals, where Taoyuan stunned Ryukyu, 71–64. This time, the Golden Kings are eager for redemption, while the Pilots hope to reaffirm their place among Asia’s elite.
Game schedule (HKT):
- Utsunomiya vs. Taipei Fubon – 6:30 PM
- Taoyuan vs. Ryukyu – 8:30 PM
China came within a single basket of toppling Oceania powerhouse Australia in the FIBA Asia Cup final, bowing 90-89 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, but sending a clear message that it remains a force in Asian basketball.
The Chinese squad, bannered by Hu Mingxuan and Hu Jinqiu, led by as many as 15 points through three quarters before faltering in the final minutes against the defending champions. Despite the heartbreaking loss, the performance was a reminder of China’s proud basketball heritage and its potential return to continental supremacy.
Gilas Pilipinas advanced to the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup quarterfinals after triumphing over host nation Saudi Arabia in a tense 95-88 overtime victory on Monday, August 11 (Tuesday, August 12 in Manila) at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah.
Justin Brownlee once again showed his ‘Never Say Die’ attitude after drilling a contested three-pointer with 3.7 seconds left to force the extra period. He went on to finish with 29 points, five assists, and four rebounds, paving the way for a quarterfinal showdown with two-time defending champion Australia on Wednesday, August 13.
Brownlee’s heroics set the stage for Kevin Quiambao, who buried two triples in OT to complete a 17-point performance alongside three dimes and three deflections.
"It was a special game, it was a special performance from both teams," said head coach Tim Cone. "They (Saudi Arabia) posed a lot of problems for us, and by all rights, they had the game won — except for the guy sitting to my right (Brownlee). If you know his history, that’s not unusual. He’s been hitting big shots."
AJ Edu anchored the middle with 17 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists, while Dwight Ramos chipped in 13 markers, 10 boards, three dimes, and a rejection.
Beyond Brownlee’s late-game magic, the Philippines secured the win by neutralizing Saudi Arabia’s high-scoring duo of Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman and Mohammed Alsuwailem in the extra frame.
Abdur-Rahkman erupted for 33 points on 8-of-14 shooting from deep, while Alsuwailem tallied 26 points, 14 rebounds, and three blocks — but the two combined for only five points in OT as Gilas closed the door on the hosts’ upset bid.
The Scores:
Philippines 95 – Brownlee 29, Edu 17, Quiambao 17, Ramos 13, Fajardo 6, Tamayo 5, Thompson 4, Newsome 4, Malonzo 0, Perez 0, Aguilar 0.
Saudi Arabia 88 – Abdur-Rahkman 33, Alsuwailem 26, Almuwallad 10, Abdel Gabar 8, Ma. Almarwani 4, Belal 3, Kadi 3, Mo. Almarwani 1, Shubayli 0.
Quarters: 25-15, 40-37, 60-59, 79-79 (reg.), 95-88 (OT).