Guangdong rally by Fujian, Sichuan lose 12th in a row
The Guangdong Southern Tigers used a late rally to edge the Fujian Sturgeons 120-116, while the Beijing Royal Fighters dealt the Sichuan Blue Whales their 12th consecutive defeat 103-85 in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) league on Wednesday.
With two sides tying at 116-116 going into the final minute, Guangdong center Zhou Qi made a basket and grabbed a defensive rebound, and Tremont Waters held firm to make both free throws for a four-point lead with 12.9 seconds remaining.
Zhou notched a double-double of 25 points and 22 rebounds. Hu Mingxuan had 26 points as six Guangdong players scored in double figures for a three-game winning streak.
"We were not fully prepared at the start, turning the ball over seven times in the first quarter. Then we overcame the difficulties and grasped the opportunities to win the game, and it was a good experience for us," commented Guangdong coach Du Feng.
With both Thon Maker and Eugene German on the court, Fujian could match Guangdong punch for punch in offense. The foreign duo combined for 36 points in the first quarter as the hosts raced to a 42-36 lead at the end of the quarter.
With 3:01 left to play in the second quarter, Hu's jumper allowed Guangdong to turn the tide 61-60, its first lead since the first quarter, before Fujian responded with eight points in a row and opened up a 10-point halftime lead.
The matchup flared up with 5:06 remaining in the third quarter, when Hu and Fujian forward Li Jianghuai attempted to contend for position. Li was called for an unsportsmanlike foul, and Hu converted two ensuing free throws and made a layup as Guangdong leveled the score at 82-82. German took charge of the game afterward, scoring eight points on the bounce as Fujian possessed a 97-92 advantage heading into the final frame.
Xu Jie and Huang Mingyi kickstarted the fourth quarter with consecutive shots from beyond the arc to move Guangdong ahead 98-97. In a nip-and-tuck quarter, Maker's three-point play and Zou Yang's layup put Fujian in front 112-105 with 4:07 remaining, while Maker fouled out with 2:36 to play and Hu's 3-pointer shortly afterward leveled the score at 113-113.
The loss made German's game-high 37 points in vain. Maker had 24 points and 10 boards. Zou and Zeng Lingxuan scored 16 points apiece.
Beijing took the initiative by outscoring Sichuan 36-22 in the first quarter, and maintained its advantage en route to a comfortable victory.
Six Beijing players scored in double figures, with Kay Felder leading the way with 21 points.
"It was a wire-to-wire victory for us, but we still had ups and downs down the stretch. We need to do better on protecting rebounds and some details in our defense," said Beijing coach Min Lulei.
On the bottom-ranked Sichuan side, both Venkatesha Jois and Jing Hanyi pocketed a double-double in points and rebounds, with Jois' 15-12 and Jing's 16-10 in the two categories.
Related articles
Mystery artist who erected signs comparing pothole
A defiant resident infuriated by the potholes in their road has taken revenge on the council by erec2024-05-21Owner of Raptors and Maple Leafs in talks to seal buying French soccer club Saint
SAINT-ETIENNE, France (AP) — Storied French soccer club Saint-Étienne said on Monday it was in exclu2024-05-21Closing prices for crude oil, gold and other commodities
Benchmark U.S. crude oil for June delivery rose 86 cents to $79.12 per barrel Monday. Brent crude fo2024-05-21Stock market today: Asian shares mixed in muted trading after Wall Street barely budges
TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares were mixed in muted trading Tuesday after U.S. stock indexes were little c2024-05-21Socialite Jasmine Hartin enjoys beach snuggle with electrician hunk
Socialite Jasmine Hartin has been seen enjoying a beach snuggle with her new mystery man.Ms Hartin w2024-05-21Hedge fund operators go on trial after multibillion
NEW YORK (AP) — A fraud trial began Monday for the founder of a hedge fund that cost leading global2024-05-21
atest comment