The Taipei Taishin Mars used a dominant third quarter to pull away from the Formosa Dreamers and claim a 122–114 road victory in Club Friendship play on Friday, October 9, 2026. In a game that tipped off at 17:00 local time and quickly turned into a shootout, the Mars outscored their hosts by ten points in the third period and then held their nerve down the stretch to close out an eight-point win over one of the most recognizable clubs in Taiwanese basketball.

The final scoreline of 114–122 tells the story of a fast, open contest built on perimeter shooting, transition baskets and a pair of backcourts that refused to slow down. Both teams cleared the century mark before the final five minutes, and the combined 236 points made it one of the highest-scoring fixtures of the Club Friendship calendar so far.

Match Overview

• Competition: Club Friendship
• Fixture: Formosa Dreamers vs. Taipei Taishin Mars
• Date and time: October 9, 2026, 17:00
• Final score: Formosa Dreamers 114 – 122 Taipei Taishin Mars
• Result: Taipei Taishin Mars win by 8 points

Quarter-by-Quarter Breakdown

The scoreboard swung back and forth through the opening half, with neither side able to build a cushion beyond a couple of possessions. The Mars started the brighter of the two teams, riding hot outside shooting to a 31–27 lead after ten minutes, but the Dreamers answered emphatically before the break. A 32-point second quarter, powered by dribble penetration and second-chance points, gave the home side a 59–57 advantage at halftime.

• First quarter: Dreamers 27 – 31 Mars
• Second quarter: Dreamers 32 – 26 Mars (halftime: Dreamers 59 – 57 Mars)
• Third quarter: Dreamers 25 – 35 Mars (end of third: Dreamers 84 – 92 Mars)
• Fourth quarter: Dreamers 30 – 30 Mars (final: Dreamers 114 – 122 Mars)

That third-quarter surge proved decisive. The Mars opened the second half with a sharper defensive scheme, forcing the Dreamers into contested jumpers and turning live-ball turnovers into easy points at the other end. By the time the period ended, the visitors had flipped a two-point deficit into an eight-point lead, and the Dreamers would never fully recover.

Key Moments

Trailing 84–92 entering the fourth, the Dreamers needed a spark and got one early in the period, trimming the margin to four with a quick 8–2 run that brought the home crowd to its feet. The Mars responded the way good teams do: a timeout, a settled possession, and a three-pointer from the wing that quieted the building.

From there, the game settled into a free-throw contest. The Mars protected their lead by attacking the rim and drawing contact, converting consistently from the line in the final four minutes. Whenever the Dreamers threatened to cut the gap to a single possession, the visitors found an answer — a corner three, an offensive rebound put-back, or a transition layup off a deflection. The Dreamers' final push in the last 90 seconds produced points but not stops, and the Mars ran out the clock with the ball in safe hands.

Tactical Story of the Game

The Dreamers' offense hummed when they played with pace, pushing the ball up the floor before the Mars' half-court defense could set. Their guards repeatedly turned the corner on ball screens and either finished at the rim or kicked out to shooters, which is how they manufactured a 32-point second quarter and a halftime lead.

The Mars adjusted after the break by switching more screens, hedging harder on the ball handler and daring the Dreamers' big men to beat them from the perimeter. That gamble paid off. The Dreamers' half-court efficiency dipped sharply in the third, and their defensive rebounding suffered as the Mars crashed the offensive glass with extra bodies. The visitors also tightened their transition defense, eliminating the easy baskets that had fueled the Dreamers' best stretch of the game.

On offense, the Mars leaned on ball movement rather than isolation. Their extra pass repeatedly found the open man against a Dreamers defense that was a step slow rotating in the second half, and their balanced scoring made them difficult to game-plan against — five players finished in double figures.

Standout Players

Taipei Taishin Mars: The backcourt pairing of Huang Tsung-Han and import guard Jalen Reeves controlled the tempo, with Reeves punishing the Dreamers off the dribble and Huang knocking down timely perimeter shots. Forward Derek Coleman was a force on the boards, generating second-chance opportunities that helped break the game open in the third quarter. The Mars' bench also contributed meaningful minutes, keeping the defensi