Taichung:Kaohsiung Adam Hinton made a strong debut in the Taiwan Professional Basketball League (TPBL) on Sunday, scoring 16 points for the Kaohsiung Aquas. Despite his performance, the Aquas lost 115-114 to the defending champions, the Formosa Dreamers, after squandering a 20-point lead.
According to Focus Taiwan, Hinton, who was selected as the first overall pick in the 2026 TPBL draft, played with a protective mask due to a nasal fracture. During the game at Taichung Intercontinental Basketball Stadium, he also contributed seven rebounds. Hinton scored his first professional points on two free throws early in the game and followed up with a driving layup. By halftime, he had helped the Aquas to a 63-49 lead with a personal tally of 14 points.
With about 41 seconds left in the game, Hinton's free throws briefly gave the Aquas a 114-113 edge. However, a midrange jumper by Dreamers guard Lin Chun-chi with seven seconds remaining, followed by a missed final shot by Grant Basile, secured the comeback victory for the Dreamers.
Hinton, a 23-year-old graduate of Cornell University, expressed regret over the loss and mentioned plans to review his performance to improve in future games. Basile led the Aquas with a game-high 36 points and 14 rebounds. For the Dreamers, Lin and Brandon Gilbeck each scored 23 points, with Gilbeck also grabbing 15 rebounds.
The Dreamers won their first TPBL championship last season, achieving a notable comeback in the finals. The TPBL is one of Taiwan's two professional basketball leagues, with each of its seven teams playing 36 regular-season games in the 2026-27 season. Four teams will advance to the playoffs, with the top three qualifying directly, and the fourth and fifth teams competing for the final spot.
