Xu Xin’s decisive floater in the final seconds clinched a nail-biting 99-98 victory for the Guangdong Southern Tigers over the Beikong Royal Fighters on Sunday in Dongguan, south China’s Guangdong Province. The triumph extends Guangdong’s winning streak to six games in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA).
The game began with Beikong taking an early 8-2 lead. However, Guangdong’s Xu Jie orchestrated a comeback with his exceptional playmaking, complemented by Eric Moreland’s strong finishing. By the end of the first quarter, Guangdong had edged ahead 25-24.
In the second quarter, the home team intensified their offensive pressure. Ren Junfei’s precision from beyond the arc and Darius Bazley’s aggressive drives overwhelmed Beikong’s defense. A pivotal moment came when Xu Jie stole the ball from Zhu Songwei, igniting a fast break that culminated in Bazley’s emphatic two-handed dunk. This surge gave Guangdong a commanding 47-32 lead with just over four minutes remaining in the half.
Beikong responded fiercely in the third quarter. Led by Shen Zijie, Travis Trice, and Jared Sullinger, they orchestrated a 10-0 run over four minutes, narrowing Guangdong’s lead to a single point at 61-60. Sensing the momentum shift, Troy Gillenwater and Xu Jie stepped up with a series of clutch jumpers, allowing Guangdong to close the quarter ahead 77-70.
The final quarter saw Shen Zijie continue to spearhead Beikong’s offense, with Trice contributing crucial three-pointers. Trice’s second three-pointer tied the game at 97-97 with less than a minute on the clock.
Despite Beikong briefly taking a 98-97 lead, missed free throws by Shen and Zhang Fan proved costly. With just 7.1 seconds remaining, Ren Junfei lobbed the ball toward the basket. Gillenwater outjumped two defenders to tip it to Xu Xin, who calmly sank the game-winning floater, sealing the win for Guangdong and handing Beikong their second consecutive loss.
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Xu Xin's game-winner extends Guangdong's winning streak to six games
cgtn.com