Bentil's 29 Powers Formosa Past the Champion Kings for a First TPBL Crown

They could not buy a three-pointer, so the Formosa Dreamers simply bullied their way to a championship from the inside. Behind a dominant 29-point, 13-rebound night from Bentil Ben (206-F/C-1995, college: Providence), the Dreamers beat the defending champion New Taipei Kings 90-78 in Game 7 to win the 2026 TPBL Finals 4-3 and claim the first title in the franchise's history.
The decider followed the rhythm of a tense series. The Kings struck first, edging the opening quarter 21-18, before the Dreamers seized control with a 28-17 second quarter to lead 46-38 at the break. New Taipei refused to fold, winning the third 20-15 to climb back within three at 61-58 entering the fourth. But Formosa had the final word, closing on a 29-20 surge to pull clear and set off the celebrations on their home floor at the Taichung Intercontinental Basketball Stadium.
The numbers told a strange story. Formosa shot just 2-of-25 from beyond the arc a frigid 8 percent yet still won comfortably, because they overwhelmed the Kings everywhere else: 58.6 percent on two-pointers, a 53-44 edge on the glass, and a near-perfect 16-of-18 from the foul line. Bentil Ben was the engine of it all, and he had plenty of help. Tompkins added 14 points and eight rebounds, Chun-Chi Lin (175-PG-1998)-chi provided a 12-point spark off the bench, and Kao Po-kai chipped in eight points and nine boards while going a perfect 4-of-4 inside.
The Kings, who lifted the inaugural TPBL trophy a year ago, were undone by their shooting, connecting on just 40.5 percent of their twos and 23.3 percent of their threes. Washburn Jason (213-C-1990, college: Utah, agency: Pensack Sports) led them with 15 points and seven rebounds, Harris Jalen (196-SG-1998, college: Nevada) posted 14 points and nine boards, and Lin Shu-wei added 14 points with six assists, with a reserve contributing 16 off the bench but it was not enough to extend their reign.
For head coach Douglas Creighton, who stepped into the role only in mid-2025 after ending his own playing career, it is a championship in his first season at the helm, and a maiden TPBL crown for Formosa.