The first day of Asia League’s Summer Super 8 tournament at the Macao East Asian Games Dome saw some close match ups on the court, with each team giving their all in their opening games.

A snapshot of today’s action is below:

Game 1 – NLEX Road Warriors 94-68  Formosa Dreamers

In the opening match of Summer Super 8 held at Macao East Asian Games Dome, the NLEX Road Warriors from the Philippines took on the Formosa Dreamers from Chinese Taipei, led by Lee Hsueh Lin, former CBA Finals MVP. The Road Warriors offensive firepower was too much for the Dreamers and they fell by a score of 94 to 68. The Dreamers roster is full of young college players and still has room to improve; the NLEX Road Warriors, on the other hand, have strong centers and several experienced professionals.

Game 2 – Blackwater Elite 78-67 Samsung Thunders

The next match featured the Blackwater Elite from the Philippines and the Seoul Samsung Thunders from South Korea. The two got off to a fast start, continuing to battle fiercely throughout the match. Blackwater Elite have a massive advantage in the paint with their skilled big men, which helped them get off to a 7-0 start. The height of the starting center for the Samsung Thunders is only 1.99 meters, and their lack of height proved to be a disadvantage throughout the game. Samsung Thunders fans had hopes that their 3-pointer prowess would give the Thunders an edge, but none of their last ten attempts found their mark. Blackwater Elite won the match by a score of 78-67.

Game 3 – ETLand Elephants 81-67 Xinjiang Guanghui Flying Tigers

In Day 1 Game 3, ETLand of South Korea took on the high-powered Xinjiang Flying Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association. Brian Goorjian, head coach of the Xinjiang Flying Tigers and also assistant coach for the China National Team, stated: ”In fact, I just came back from Las Vegas with the China National Team. To me, Macao possesses the same charm as Las Vegas, the potential to be the sports capital of Asia. Macao is also blessed with a unique mélange of cultures from East and West, and with great opportunities for recreation and entertainment.” Coach Brian Goorjian’s first game at the helm of the Flying Tigers surpassed his expectations, holding ETLand to only a score differential of 67-81.

Game 4 – Rizing Zephyr Fukuoka 62-68 Guangzhou Long-Lions

Game 4 was held between the Guangzhou Long-Lions from China and Rizing Zephyr Fukuoka from Japan. The Guangzhou Long-Lions had the help of newly acquired star guard, Shirelijan Muxtar; however, their outside shooting rate was still low. In the end, Guangzhou’s height advantage helped propel them to a 68 – 62 victory over Rizing Zephyr Fukuoka.