The Xinjiang Flying Tigers opened their Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) Playoffs campaign with a dramatic 118-111 victory over the Nanjing Monkey Kings in Urumqi on Friday, showcasing resilience amid a late-game injury scare. The Flying Tigers, champions in 2017, established early dominance with a 14-3 first-quarter run led by Qi Lin and Dedric Lawson, but Nanjing’s sharp three-point shooting kept the contest tense.
Xinjiang appeared poised to pull away in the second quarter as Montrezl Harrell dominated the paint, stretching the lead to 20 points. Yet Nanjing’s Lin Wei and T.J. Leaf orchestrated a fierce counterattack, trimming the deficit to 15 at halftime. The third quarter saw Nanjing claw within seven points, but clutch three-pointers from Qi and Sindarius Thornwell extended Xinjiang’s lead.
A pivotal moment came late in the fourth quarter when Xinjiang’s Zhao Rui suffered a knee injury, exiting the court on a stretcher. Capitalizing on the disruption, Nanjing narrowed the gap to three points with under two minutes remaining. However, Xinjiang’s defense held firm, securing a critical 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series.
Despite Lin Wei’s career-high 37 points and 11 assists, Nanjing now faces elimination in Game Two on Monday. Meanwhile, the Qingdao Eagles overpowered the Zhejiang Golden Bulls 112-96 in another opener, fueled by Wang Ruize’s electric 36-point performance.
