The Xinjiang Flying Tigers finally broke their 10-game losing streak against the Liaoning Flying Leopards with a blazing 125-105 victory in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, on Wednesday night. 🏀✨
From the tip-off, Xinjiang came out roaring, establishing an early 14-7 lead. But Liaoning wasn't backing down! Zhang Zhenlin sank two back-to-back triples, trimming the gap to just three points at 23-20. Quentin Peterson answered with a smooth jumper to keep Xinjiang ahead, but Dez Wells nailed a downtown shot to tie it up at 25-25. The battle was ON! 🔥
In the second quarter, Liaoning hit a rough patch, going nearly two minutes without scoring. Xinjiang capitalized big time, splashing shots from beyond the arc to stretch their lead to 45-35. Even after a Liaoning timeout, Peterson was unstoppable, raining in jumpers and pushing Xinjiang's lead to a whopping 18 points at 65-47 by halftime. 🎯
Liaoning launched a fierce comeback in the third quarter, outscoring Xinjiang 32-21. Wells was clutch, sinking free throws to tie the game at 73-73. But just when things got tight, Qi Lin stepped up for Xinjiang, drilling two consecutive three-pointers to ensure they entered the final quarter ahead 86-79. Talk about clutch! 😱
The fourth quarter belonged to Zhao Rui, who scored all 14 of his points when it mattered most. His dominant play helped Xinjiang quickly boost their lead back to double digits, leaving Liaoning in the dust. 🚀
\"Even though we won, we still need to learn from our mistakes on the court so we can make better choices next time,\" Zhao told CGTN Sports Scene's Liu Jiaqi after the game. Wise words! 🗣️
Liaoning's head coach Yang Ming acknowledged Xinjiang's unique style: \"This season, under the guidance of Liu Wei, Xinjiang's tough play, especially in rebounding, defense, and transition, is very distinctive. It's a change we haven't seen from other teams.\"
With this epic win, the Xinjiang Flying Tigers are definitely a team to watch this season. Keep an eye out, basketball fans! 👀🏀
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
