The Guangdong Southern Tigers concluded the second phase of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) season with a commanding 111-82 home victory over local rivals, the Guangzhou Loong Lions, on Friday.
The Southern Tigers, eleven-time champions, showcased their dominance early on. Eric Moreland capitalized on a missed three-pointer by Zhang Haojia, grabbing the rebound from Li Xiangbo and delivering a powerful two-handed dunk to put Guangdong ahead by five points in the first quarter.
However, the Loong Lions responded with an impressive 11-0 run, highlighted by Yumit Sedak's steal and slam dunk, momentarily seizing the lead before Guangdong regained control in the second period.
The momentum swung back to the hosts when Xu Jie nailed a three-pointer, extending the lead to ten points. Following a turnover by Guangzhou, Zhang set up Darius Bazley for an electrifying windmill dunk that ignited the crowd in Dongguan.
Maintaining their form after halftime, Guangdong widened the gap. Troy Gillenwater assisted Ren Junfei for an easy layup, stretching the lead to 17 points. Gillenwater, who was instrumental throughout the game, led all scorers with 22 points.
In the fourth quarter, Ren found Xu in the corner for another three-pointer, pushing the lead to 30. The 25-year-old Xu finished with a remarkable double-double, contributing 19 points and 11 assists.
The decisive win propels the Southern Tigers to third place in the standings, while the Loong Lions, under coach Nathaniel Mitchell, suffered their seventh consecutive defeat, dropping to 18th.
In another matchup, the Beijing Ducks overwhelmed the Fujian Sturgeons with a 128-94 victory on the road. Despite an early lead by Beijing, Fujian rallied with an 11-0 run to edge ahead, taking a five-point advantage into halftime after Zou Yang's buzzer-beating three-pointer.
The Ducks regained control in the third quarter, with Zhou Qi, who amassed a game-high 31 points, and Zeng Fanbo leading the charge. Beijing outscored Fujian 21-15 in the period, entering the final quarter with a 21-point cushion. The Sturgeons couldn't recover, suffering their fourth straight loss.
With this win, Beijing moves up to eighth place, while Fujian remains at the bottom of the standings in 20th position.
Reference(s):
CBA: Guangdong closes second phase with win over struggling Guangzhou
cgtn.com
