The Guangdong Southern Tigers clinched a thrilling 99-98 victory over the Beikong Royal Fighters on Sunday in Dongguan, the Chinese mainland, extending their winning streak to six games in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA).
Beikong began the game energetically, opening with an 8-2 lead. However, Guangdong’s Xu Jie orchestrated a comeback, and with solid finishing from Eric Moreland, the Southern Tigers edged ahead 25-24 by the end of the first quarter.
Guangdong continued to dismantle Beikong’s defense in the second quarter. Ren Junfei’s three-pointers and Darius Bazley’s aggressive drives to the basket kept the Royal Fighters’ defenders on their heels. A pivotal moment came when Xu Jie stole the ball from Zhu Songwei and fed Bazley for a fast-break, two-handed dunk, pushing Guangdong’s lead to 47-32 with just over four minutes remaining in the half.
In the third quarter, Beikong mounted a spirited comeback led by Shen Zijie, Travis Trice, and Jared Sullinger. They orchestrated a 10-0 run over four minutes, narrowing Guangdong’s lead to just one point at 61-60. Sensing the momentum shift, Troy Gillenwater and Xu Jie responded with a series of clutch jumpers, ensuring Guangdong maintained a 77-70 advantage heading into the final quarter.
Beikong continued to battle in the fourth quarter, with Shen Zijie dominating the offense and Trice connecting from downtown. Trice’s second three-pointer tied the game at 97-97 with under a minute left.
In a nail-biting finish, Shen Zijie and Zhang Fan missed three of four crucial free throws, leaving Beikong ahead by only one point at 98-97 with 7.1 seconds on the clock. In the final play, Ren Junfei lobbed the ball, and Gillenwater, outmaneuvering two defenders, tipped it to Xu Xin, who sank the decisive floater, sealing the victory for Guangdong and handing Beikong their second consecutive defeat.
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Xu Xin's game-winner extends Guangdong's winning streak to six games
cgtn.com
