Japan’s Utsunomiya Brex defeated Taoyuan Pauian Pilots from China’s Taiwan region with a score of 90-81 to win the EASL Finals Macau 2026 at Studio City Macau’s Event Centre in Cotai yesterday, securing the championship in their debut home-and-away season structure.
EASL stands for East Asia Super League.
The Japanese side established control early in the game with a dominant first quarter, converting a high volume of three-point shots to build a decisive lead. Taoyuan Pauian Pilots attempted to respond across the remaining quarters, improving in rebounds, assists and turnovers, but were unable to close the gap.
The first quarter ended with Brex scoring 39 points while Pilots scored 13. The latter eventually secured 19 points in the second quarter as Brex scored only 12. The Pilots scored 24 in the third quarter, while Brex scored 21. Lastly, the Pilots ended with 25 points in the final quarter, as Brex concluded with 18.
Among the audience was Mario Ho Yau Kwan, co-owner of the US National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Boston Celtics, member of the All-China Youth Federation, member of the Hubei Provincial Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), and son of late Macau gaming mogul Stanley Ho Hung Sun.
Speaking at the press conference after the match, Pilots’ head coach Iurgi Caminos pointed to the Brex’s shooting efficiency as the key difference. “When one team is able to score 19 threes out of 41, there is nothing to say. Congratulations. They deserve the championship,” he said, adding that despite losing, his team showed resilience. “We won the last three quarters. We won more rebounds. We assisted more. We have less turnovers”.
Meanwhile, on the Brex side, head coach Zico Coronel praised his team’s strong start and composure under pressure. “It was great that we started out the game well. We kept fighting and we were able to get the win,” he said.
Hiejima Makoto, Brex’s named MVP (Most Valuable Player), and teammate DJ Newbill played key roles, contributing 19 and 21 points respectively. Speaking to the Post, Coronel said winning the title was satisfying but the team remained focused on upcoming competitions. “It’s certainly pleasing. But we’ve got more work to do,” he said.
Makoto reflected that “we were able to prove that everything we’ve been doing is correct. We were able to prove that by winning the EASL. It was great. We would like to continue to fight and keep representing Asia. Even though there was a lot of pressure, we were able to prove that we still lead Asia. We would like to continue to do that from now on”.
“I think it was a great accomplishment for our team. Especially with the tough schedule with the B-League schedule and EASL,” Newbill said, adding that “we took pride in coming out in EASL and competing at the highest level. Just seeing a lot of our players step up and give a moment to the tournament was really great.”
Utsunomiya Brex’s DJ Newbill (left) and MVP Hiejima Makoto speak to the media during yesterday’s post-match press conference.
Players from Utsunomiya Brex and Taoyuan Pauian Pilots compete in yesterday’s EASL Finals at Studio City Macau’s Event Centre in Cotai.
EASL Finals 2026’s champions Utsunomiya Brex celebrate their victory with their trophy. – Photos: Khalel Vallo
