No. 1 TPBL draft pick Hinton debuts

SOLID DEBUT: The Taiwanese-American player put up 16 points for the Aquas, but it was not enough, as the defending champions pulled ahead with just seven seconds left

Adam Hinton, the first overall pick in the TPBL draft, scored 16 points in his regular-season debut on Sunday, but his team, the Kaohsiung Aquas, squandered a 20-point lead, losing 115-114 to defending champions the Formosa Dreamers.

Playing with a protective mask due to a nasal fracture sustained during practice, Hinton added seven rebounds in the Aquas’ season opener at Taichung Intercontinental Basketball Stadium.

He scored his first professional points on two free throws less than a minute into the game, before making his first field goal on a driving layup. He finished the opening quarter with eight points and had 14 by halftime, helping the Aquas build a 63-49 lead.

Kaohsiung Aquas players Hu Longmao, left, and Adam Hinton take part in a TPBL pre-season conference on Oct. 7.

Photo: CNA

The Aquas almost secured a winning start when Hinton drew a foul on a drive and sank both free throws with about 41 seconds remaining, putting the team ahead 114-113.

However, with about seven seconds left on the clock, Dreamers guard Lin Chun-chi came back with a midrange jumper. Grant Basile missed the Aquas’ final shot, sealing the home team’s comeback victory.

Hinton, a 23-year-old Cornell University graduate who was the TPBL’s first overall pick on July 16, said he regretted the loss and would review his performance, with the hope of improving before his next game.

The intensity of his debut game was as expected, he said, adding that he felt comfortable seeing several familiar faces on the opposing team.

Basile led the Aquas with a game-high 36 points and 14 rebounds. Lin and Brandon Gilbeck shared the Dreamers’ scoring lead with 23 points apiece, with Gilbeck collecting 15 rebounds.

The Dreamers won their first TPBL championship last season after overcoming a 3-1 deficit in the finals with three back to back victories, securing the franchise’s first domestic professional league title.

The TPBL is one of Taiwan’s two professional basketball leagues, alongside the P.League+.

Its seven teams each play 36 regular-season games, split evenly between home and away fixtures.

Four teams advance to the playoffs, with the top three qualifying directly, while the fourth and fifth-place finishers contest a play-in series for the remaining berth.