The Xinjiang Flying Tigers defeated the Liaoning Flying Leopards 125-105 in Urumqi, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, on Wednesday, ending their 10-game losing streak against the reigning Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) champions.
Xinjiang built an early 14-7 lead in the first quarter, but Liaoning quickly closed the gap. Zhang Zhenlin hit two straight three-pointers to bring Liaoning to a three-point deficit, 23-20. Quentin Peterson made a jumper to maintain Xinjiang's lead, but Dez Wells responded with a three-point shot to tie the score at 25-25.
In the second quarter, Xinjiang expanded their lead to 45-35, with Peterson continuing to score for Liaoning despite timeouts. By halftime, Xinjiang led 65-47.
During the third quarter, Liaoning mounted a comeback, outscoring Xinjiang 32-21 and tying the game at 73-73. However, Qi Lin’s two straight three-pointers in the final two minutes of the quarter gave Xinjiang an 86-79 lead.
In the fourth quarter, Zhao Rui emerged as Xinjiang’s standout player, scoring all 14 of his points and helping his team build a double-digit lead that Liaoning couldn’t overcome.
Reflecting on the game, Zhao Rui said, \"Although we won the game, I think we still need to know the mistakes we made on the court, so that we can make some targeted choices next time we play against each other.\" Liaoning's head coach Yang Ming praised Xinjiang’s playing style, stating, \"This season, under the guidance of Liu Wei, Xinjiang's tough style of play, especially in rebounding, defense and transition, is indeed very unique.\"
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
