ZHUJI, China, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- The Liaoning Flying Leopards defeated the Beijing Royal Fighters 111-91, and the Guangdong Southern Tigers routed the Zhejiang Lions 115-106 thanks to 32 points from Hu Mingxuan in the 2020-21 Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) here on Friday.
Seven Liaoning players hit double digits, as rookie Zhang Zhenlin had a team-high 21 points and six rebounds, and star point guard Guo Ailun notched 19 points in just 26 minutes. Beijing's Li Gen scored 22 points and grabbed four rebounds, followed by Wang Shaojie's 21 points and six rebounds.
Liaoning took the lead quickly at the beginning of the match with Zhang continuously scoring inside to help his team to a 58-48 lead at the break. Liaoning extended their advantage to 23 points with a 15-2 run in the third quarter and never looked back.
"As I said at the beginning of this season, our team will continue to give young players the opportunities to play," said Liaoning head coach Yang Ming. "But to be honest, I'm not satisfied with the win. We didn't concentrate for the whole 48 minutes."
The game between Guangdong and Zhejiang was a tight one until the end of the first quarter, when Guangdong scored four three-pointers in a row to take a 39-22 lead.
In the second period, Guangdong guard Hu continued his hot streak from outside the paint. Marshon Brooks and Sonny Weems came off the bench to help Guangdong end the first half 63-48 ahead.
In the third quarter, Zhejiang's star guard Sun Minghui continued to score layups and led his team to fight back through assisting his teammates. Guangdong made frequent mistakes and Zhejiang took advantage with a 12-0 run. After Zhao Yanhao's three-pointer before the end of the third period, the two teams were tied 84-84.
In the decisive fourth quarter, Zhejiang relied on the basket to score points, while Guangdong scored outside the three-point line as the two sides traded blows. Hu's potency from outside the paint helped ensure Guangdong's victory.
Guangdong had six players in double digits. Hu had a game-high 32 points with nine three-pointers. Zhejiang's Sun Minghui made a double-double with 31 points and 10 assists, while his teammate Hu Jinqiu made 24 points and 11 rebounds.
Also on Friday, five players were in double digits as the Jilin Northeast Tigers sealed a three-game winning streak over the Xinjiang Flying Tigers to triumph 108-97.
In upcoming matches, the Shandong Heroes square off against the Nanjing Monkey Kings, while the Qingdao Eagles take on the Tianjin Pioneers.
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