The Liaoning Flying Leopards held off the Beijing Royal Fighters 113-89 in Beijing on Dec 10, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)
BEIJING - The Xinjiang Flying Tigers held off a ferocious fourth-quarter rally from the Guangdong Southern Tigers to emerge victorious 114-110, while the Liaoning Flying Leopards ended the Beijing Royal Fighters' six-game winning streak 92-76 in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) League on Sunday.
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The duel between Xinjiang and Guangdong, both ranked in the top four, lived up to its billing. Down by 25 points with nine minutes to play, Guangdong pulled within 110-112 after Marshon Brooks made three free throws with 31 seconds remaining.
However, Brooks turned the ball over, and Dominique Jones converted both foul shots at the other end to help seal Xinjiang's victory.
Also on Sunday, the Zhejiang Lions routed the Jilin Northeast Tigers 123-85, and the Sichuan Blue Whales ended a 16-game skid with a 108-86 victory over the Ningbo Rockets
Jones had 22 points, six rebounds and nine assists. Xinjiang forward Qi Lin hit eight 3-pointers for a game-high 33 points. Abdusalam Abdurexit had 19 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists.
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Brooks scored 26 points, leading five Guangdong players in double digits.
"Guangdong is a traditional powerhouse. We did well today, especially in the first three quarters, while having some mistakes in the fourth", rued Xinjiang coach Qiu Biao.
Without playmaker Kay Felder, the Royal Fighters were unable to match the defending champions in offense. Liaoning built a 15-point halftime lead and extended it to 25 points heading into the final frame, meaning little space for Beijing to make a comeback.
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Liaoning's balanced attack witnessed six players in double figures, as Fu Hao led the way with 21 points.
Also on Sunday, the Zhejiang Lions routed the Jilin Northeast Tigers 123-85, and the Sichuan Blue Whales ended a 16-game skid with a 108-86 victory over the Ningbo Rockets.
