Eight-time NBA All Star Dwight Howard of the Taoyuan Leopards was named T1 LEAGUE’s import player of the month for February, while the New Taipei CTBC DEA’s Hsieh Ya-hsuan (???) took the MVP of the month award, according to the six-team league Wednesday.
The 37-year-old Howard averaged a double-double of 28.2 points and 16.8 rebounds, as well as 7.8 assists, in three wins and one loss in February, playing an average of 32 minutes and 22 seconds per game.
That included his leading the Leopards to a 137-116 away win over the defending champion, the Kaohsiung Aquas, on Feb. 12.
During that game at Kaohsiung Arena, Howard recorded a triple-double, dropping 28 points, shooting 11-12 from the floor, including 1-2 from beyond the arc and 5-6 from the charity stripe. He also tallied 22 rebounds and 14 assists.
Howard, who joined the Leopards in November last year, was a eight-time All-Star and three-time Defensive Player of the Year in the NBA, where he also won a championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2019-2020 season.
Meanwhile, DEA shooting guard Hsieh Ya-hsuan was named MVP of the month for the second consecutive month for his hot shooting.
Playing in three games in February, Hsieh dropped an average of 18 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and two steals per game.
In a home game against the Leopards on Feb. 26, Hsieh hit 10 three-pointers to help his team earn a 102-95 win. The DEA won all four of their games in February and are currently on a seven-game winning streak.
The New Taipei team is at the top of the league standings with a 16-4 record, while the 4-13 Leopards are last and 10.5 games behind the DEA.
The T1 LEAGUE is one of two fully professional basketball leagues in Taiwan, the other being the P. LEAGUE+.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel