It's only the beginning of the CBA season, but things are already heating up! The Shandong Kylins handed the Guangdong Southern Tigers a surprising 115-105 defeat in Jinan on Tuesday, marking the first time in eight years that the 11-time champions have started a season with two straight losses! 😱
Both teams were a bit sloppy with the ball, racking up a combined 49 turnovers. But Guangdong outdid Shandong in this messy stat, turning the ball over 28 times to Shandong's 21. The Kylins took full advantage, launching fast breaks and scoring easy points, leaving the Tigers struggling to keep up.
Shandong's bench was on fire, with Lindell Wigginton dropping 26 points! 🔥 Plus, starters Jarmar Gulley, Chen Peidong, and Gao Shiyan each swiped four steals, showing off some serious defensive hustle. Marquese Chriss wasn't messing around either, adding three blocks to the Kylins' defensive dominance.
The Kylins came out swinging, ending the first quarter ahead 29-22 and pushing their lead into double digits in the second. But Guangdong's Hu Mingxuan wasn't ready to back down, hitting consecutive buckets to cut the lead to 57-49 before halftime.
Drama unfolded in the third quarter when Guangdong's Xu Jie left the game with an ankle sprain. 😬 Without their playmaker, the Tigers' offense fell into chaos, and Shandong capitalized, stretching their lead to 86-73 by the end of the quarter.
Even though Xu Jie returned in the final quarter, the Tigers couldn't find their groove. The Kylins kicked off the fourth with a 9-2 run, and despite some effort from Guangdong, they just couldn't catch up. Shandong wrapped up the game with a decisive 10-point victory, snagging their first win of the new season! 🎉
This unexpected twist has fans buzzing—could this be a sign of a shifting power dynamic in the CBA? Only time will tell, but one thing's for sure: this season is gonna be epic! 🙌🏀
Reference(s):
Shandong doom Guangdong to worst start to a CBA season in eight years
cgtn.com
