In a thrilling rematch on Saturday, the Zhejiang Golden Bulls secured a 106-92 victory over the Beijing Ducks in Shaoxing, East China’s Zhejiang Province. The win not only avenged their loss from last week but also marked their second consecutive win in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA).
Both teams faced challenges with injuries, missing key players such as Zhou Qi and Chen Ying-Chun for Beijing, and Wu Qian and Cheng Shuaipeng for Zhejiang.
Zhejiang’s home guard Gabe York was unstoppable from the start. Alongside Damian Jones and Lu Wenbo, he helped the Golden Bulls surge ahead, outscoring the Ducks 32-16 with less than two minutes left in the first quarter. However, Beijing’s Fan Ziming and Eugene German managed to cut the deficit to 32-23 by the end of the quarter.
The Golden Bulls maintained a comfortable lead of around 10 points for the early part of the second quarter. But a scoring drought allowed the Ducks to rally with a 10-0 run, tying the game at 44-44. Richard Solomon and Nuni Omot pushed Beijing ahead briefly, but Zhejiang’s Wang Yibo and York responded with a 6-0 run, giving the Golden Bulls a 55-50 lead at halftime.
In the second half, Zhejiang continued to receive offensive contributions from a variety of players, while Beijing began to show signs of fatigue. The Golden Bulls outscored the Ducks 29-22 in the third quarter, extending their lead to 84-71. Despite efforts from Zhai Xiaochuan and Zhang Cairen, who both hit crucial three-pointers, Zhejiang’s York, Lu, and Wang combined for a decisive 10-0 run, sealing the victory.
With this win, the Zhejiang Golden Bulls climb to No. 5 in the standings, demonstrating their resilience and depth despite the absence of key players.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
