In a thrilling start to the Chinese Basketball Association playoffs, the Xinjiang Flying Tigers dazzled fans by halting a late comeback from the Nanjing Monkey Kings. The game, played in Urumqi in the Chinese mainland's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, ended with a narrow 118-111 victory for the home side in this best-of-three series.
The Tigers exploded out of the gate in the first quarter, building an 11-point lead with dynamic plays from Qi Lin, Li Yanzhe, and Dedric Lawson. Although the Monkey Kings tried to spark a rally with sharp three-pointers from Zhu Mingzhen, Tian Yuheng, and T.J. Leaf, the early momentum belonged to Xinjiang.
In the second quarter, American big man Montrezl Harrell lit up the paint with powerful dunks and rim-rattling plays, extending the Tigers' lead to over 20 points. Nanjing responded with a 10-2 run to trim the gap to 15 by halftime, keeping hopes alive.
The third quarter saw even more intensity as Nanjing's Lin Wei and T.J. Leaf, alongside Guo Haowen, chipped away at Xinjiang's advantage and brought the margin down to a tense seven points. Crucial three-pointers from Qi Lin and Sindarius Thornwell, however, helped the Flying Tigers maintain control at 95-85 when the quarter ended.
The fourth quarter delivered heart-stopping drama. After Zhao Rui was forced to leave the game with a knee injury and was stretchered off, the Monkey Kings managed to narrow the gap to three points with less than two minutes remaining. Yet the Tigers' resolve proved unbreakable, as they locked down the final moments to secure a hard-fought 118-111 win.
Despite a career night from Nanjing's Lin, who recorded 37 points and 11 assists, his team fell short of overturning the deficit. In another playoff opener, the Qingdao Eagles cruised past the Zhejiang Golden Bulls 112-96, propelled by Wang Ruize’s standout 36-point performance and a decisive 22-2 run.
With Game Two scheduled for Monday in Yiwu, east China's Zhejiang Province, the intensity of the playoffs is only set to rise. For fans of edge-of-your-seat basketball, this series is one for the highlight reels! 🔥🏀
Reference(s):
Xinjiang shuts down Nanjing's comeback efforts to begin CBA Playoffs
cgtn.com
