Xinjiang Halts Nanjing's Rally at the Start of CBA Playoffs
The Xinjiang Flying Tigers secured a 118-111 victory against the Nanjing Monkey Kings in Game One of their first-round series in the Chinese Basketball Association Playoffs, held at home in Urumqi, located in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur...
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The Xinjiang Flying Tigers secured a 118-111 victory against the Nanjing Monkey Kings in Game One of their first-round series in the Chinese Basketball Association Playoffs, held at home in Urumqi, located in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. This win puts Xinjiang ahead 1-0 in the best-of-three matchup.
A historically strong team that clinched the league title in 2017, Xinjiang established an 11-point advantage early in the first quarter, leading 25-14, fueled by a 14-3 run from players Qi Lin, Li Yanzhe, and Dedric Lawson. Near the end of the quarter, Nanjing halted their scoring slump, thanks to consecutive three-pointers from Zhu Mingzhen, Tian Yuheng, and T. J. Leaf. By the time the buzzer sounded, the visitors were down 32-27.
Montrezl Harrell, the American big man for the Flying Tigers, showcased his offensive abilities in the second quarter, continually attacking the rim and helping extend the lead to over 20 points. However, Lin Wei and Leaf collaborated for Nanjing, generating a 10-2 run that reduced the deficit to 15 points, ending the half at 66-51.
In the third quarter, Lin and Leaf remained aggressive offensively, supported by Guo Haowen, who began penetrating Xinjiang's defense. Their efforts narrowed the gap to seven points at 80-73 before Qi and Sindarius Thornwell responded with three-pointers, closing the quarter with Xinjiang in the lead at 95-85.
The fourth quarter brought a significant setback for Xinjiang as Zhao Rui left the game due to a knee injury and required a stretcher to exit the court. Nanjing capitalized on this moment, with Lin and Zhu sinking multiple three-pointers to pull within three points at 114-111 with less than two minutes remaining. However, the Flying Tigers managed to stop the scoring from Nanjing and secured the win by three points.
Despite Lin's stellar performance with 37 points and 11 assists, Nanjing fell short and will look to even the series in Game Two on Monday at home.
In another playoff opener, the Qingdao Eagles triumphed over the Zhejiang Golden Bulls with a score of 112-96 at home, taking a 1-0 series lead. Wang Ruize had a notable game, shooting 13-for-20 from the field and hitting six three-pointers to finish with a game-high 36 points. At the start of the fourth quarter, Qingdao led by just one point, 87-86, but they quickly pulled away with a decisive 22-2 run over the next seven minutes.
Game Two of the Qingdao versus Zhejiang series is set for Monday in Yiwu, in east China's Zhejiang Province.
Mathilde Moreau for TROIB News
A historically strong team that clinched the league title in 2017, Xinjiang established an 11-point advantage early in the first quarter, leading 25-14, fueled by a 14-3 run from players Qi Lin, Li Yanzhe, and Dedric Lawson. Near the end of the quarter, Nanjing halted their scoring slump, thanks to consecutive three-pointers from Zhu Mingzhen, Tian Yuheng, and T. J. Leaf. By the time the buzzer sounded, the visitors were down 32-27.
Montrezl Harrell, the American big man for the Flying Tigers, showcased his offensive abilities in the second quarter, continually attacking the rim and helping extend the lead to over 20 points. However, Lin Wei and Leaf collaborated for Nanjing, generating a 10-2 run that reduced the deficit to 15 points, ending the half at 66-51.
In the third quarter, Lin and Leaf remained aggressive offensively, supported by Guo Haowen, who began penetrating Xinjiang's defense. Their efforts narrowed the gap to seven points at 80-73 before Qi and Sindarius Thornwell responded with three-pointers, closing the quarter with Xinjiang in the lead at 95-85.
The fourth quarter brought a significant setback for Xinjiang as Zhao Rui left the game due to a knee injury and required a stretcher to exit the court. Nanjing capitalized on this moment, with Lin and Zhu sinking multiple three-pointers to pull within three points at 114-111 with less than two minutes remaining. However, the Flying Tigers managed to stop the scoring from Nanjing and secured the win by three points.
Despite Lin's stellar performance with 37 points and 11 assists, Nanjing fell short and will look to even the series in Game Two on Monday at home.
In another playoff opener, the Qingdao Eagles triumphed over the Zhejiang Golden Bulls with a score of 112-96 at home, taking a 1-0 series lead. Wang Ruize had a notable game, shooting 13-for-20 from the field and hitting six three-pointers to finish with a game-high 36 points. At the start of the fourth quarter, Qingdao led by just one point, 87-86, but they quickly pulled away with a decisive 22-2 run over the next seven minutes.
Game Two of the Qingdao versus Zhejiang series is set for Monday in Yiwu, in east China's Zhejiang Province.
Mathilde Moreau for TROIB News
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