🔥 What a Game! The Jiangsu Dragons 🐉 have finally broken their losing spell, clinching a nail-biting 100-98 victory against the Guangdong Southern Tigers 🐯 on Thursday night in Dongguan, south China's Guangdong Province. This epic win marks their first triumph in the 2024-25 Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) regular season! 🎉
Coming into the game with 13 straight losses, the Dragons were desperate for a win. Right out of the gate, they surged ahead with a 15-4 run, catching the Tigers off-guard, especially after Guangdong's starting center, Wang Shaojie, left the court due to an injury just 17 seconds in. Ouch! 😱
But the Tigers weren't giving up without a fight. XuJiie’s sharp shooting and Troy Gillenwater’s aggressive plays kept Guangdong in the race, trailing just 28-23 after the first quarter.
The second quarter was all about defense, with both teams struggling to find the basket. Guangdong momentarily took the lead at 36-35, but the dynamic duo of Franklin Jackson and Archie Goodwin weren't having it. They relentlessly attacked the paint, putting Jiangsu back on top. The Tigers hit a snag when Xu picked up his fourth foul with over five minutes left before halftime. Despite Hu Mingxuan's efforts, the Tigers were behind 48-46 at the break.
The intensity ramped up in the second half! The Tigers roared back with a 10-0 run, grabbing a 58-50 lead. After Gillenwater's jumper, they soared ahead to an 11-point advantage at 63-52. But hold on—Jackson and Goodwin weren't done yet! They lit up the court with clutch shots and slick assists, cutting the deficit to just two points, 74-72, as the third quarter wrapped up.
The fourth quarter was an absolute thriller! Goodwin was on fire 🔥, dropping eight points in just two minutes and pushing the Dragons ahead 97-91 with two minutes left. The Tigers clawed back with Adonis Arms hitting a three-pointer and Yang Yi sinking free throws, narrowing the gap to 99-98. Tension was at its peak! 😬
In a dramatic turn, Arms stumbled and lost possession to Li Chengyao, forcing Yang to foul to stop the clock. Li made one of his free throws, leaving the Tigers with a chance to tie or win. In the final seconds, Zhang Mingchi's desperate three-pointer missed the mark, sealing the epic victory for the Dragons!
The Dragons' celebration was electric ⚡️—snapping their losing streak in such a high-stakes game is definitely a moment to remember!
In other action that day, the Nanjing Monkey Kings 🐒 defeated the Sichuan Blue Whales 🐳 97-83 on their home court.
Reference(s):
Jiangsu Dragons upset Guangdong Southern Tigers for 1st win of season
cgtn.com
