Defending champions the Liaoning Flying Leopards bagged a fourth straight win after overwhelming the Tianjin Pioneers 110-98, while the Nanjing Monkey Kings squeezed past the
Liaoning guard Guo Ailun notched a game-high 22 points and eight assists, while his teammate Kyle Fogg also contributed 20 points to the victory. Lin Tingqian of Tianjin scored 20 points.
Liaoning kept pouring on the pressure on the offensive end as Guo pummeled his opponents with tough layups, helping his team lead 57-50 at halftime.
David James who tallied 19 points for Tianjin, stood out in the second half by aggressively attacking the rim, but Liaoning controlled the rhythm all the way as they continued to make shots from the three-point range.
"We did a good job in the second half. Everyone executed the game plan well, especially on the defensive end," said Liaoning head coach Yang Ming after the game.
Quentin Peterson was on fire to lead Nanjing to crush their opponents in the early minutes, as the star guard scored 25 points in the first half, helping his team lead 69-49 into the second half.
Led by Darius Adams who kept scoring three-pointers, Fujian regrouped in the third quarter on a 17-1 burst, but Nanjing maintained their pace and rejected the reversing tide through fierce fast breaks.
Peterson scored a game-high 42 points and grabbed seven rebounds, while his teammate Lual Acuil racked up 19 points plus 16 rebounds. Adams had 30 points, eight rebounds and six assists for Fujian.
Also on Friday, the Beijing Ducks eased past the Sichuan Blue Whales 91-77, the Zhejiang Lions trounced the Ningbo Rockets 100-81, the Jiangsu Dragons beat the Shenzhen Aviators 113-101, and the Beijing Royal Fighters defeated the Jilin Northeast Tigers 110-95.
