Zhejiang Golden Bulls secured a commanding 106-92 victory over the Beijing Ducks in a thrilling matchup held in Shaoxing, east China's Zhejiang Province, on Saturday. This win serves as a sweet revenge for Zhejiang following last week's loss, marking their second consecutive triumph in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA).
Both teams entered the game hampered by injuries, missing key players like Zhou Qi and Chen Ying-Chun for Beijing, and Wu Qian and Cheng Shuaipeng for Zhejiang. Despite these setbacks, Zhejiang's home guard Gabe York was unstoppable from the onset, teaming up with Damian Jones and Lu Wenbo to outscore Beijing 32-16 in the first quarter.
Beijing attempted to claw back into the game with strong performances from Fan Ziming and Eugene German, reducing the deficit to nine points at 32-23. However, Zhejiang maintained a steady advantage, managing to keep the lead around 10 points for four minutes before succumbing to a scoring drought. This allowed Beijing to surge with a 10-0 run, tying the game at 44-44.
As the game progressed, Richard Solomon and Nuni Omot kept Beijing ahead briefly, but Zhejiang's Wang Yibo and Gabe York rallied, leading a 6-0 run to establish a 55-50 lead by halftime. In the second half, Zhejiang's balanced offensive contributions continued to wear down Beijing, who struggled on both ends of the court.
Zhejiang outscored Beijing 29-22 in the third quarter, building a 13-point lead at 84-71. Despite attempts by Zhai Xiaochuan and Zhang Cairen to keep Beijing in the game with long-range shots, Zhejiang's York, Lu, and Wang orchestrated another crucial 10-0 run towards the end, sealing the win and propelling Zhejiang to No. 5 in the CBA standings.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
