QINGDAO: The Beijing Royal Fighters edged the Nanjing Monkey Kings 110-108 in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) here on Tuesday, getting over a three-game losing streak.
Beijing established a 15-7 lead after the tip-off and were 11 points ahead when the first quarter ran out. Wang Zirui and Kyle Fogg combined for 21 points for the Royal Fighters.
Launching a 11-0 run in the following quarter, the Monkey Kings tied the game 42-42 and grabbed a one-point lead at the end of the first half.
Joseph Young and Hamed Haddadi, two overseas players from Nanjing, contributed 29 points together in the second period.
Two sides traded the lead several times in the second half, and tied the game 108-108 again with 17 seconds remaining. Fogg managed a perimeter shot to secure Beijing’s victory, as Young missed the buzzer beater.
Fogg had a team-high 38 points for Beijing, also added 11 rebounds and eight assists, Wang took 22 points, and Zhang Fan notched 12 points.
On Nanjing side, Young scored a game-high 53 points, Haddadi finished with 23 points and 22 rebounds, and Qiao Wenhan collected eight points.
“It’s a challenging game for us, as the opponents played zone defense during the whole game. We missed some shots, but for the most part, the guys got the job done,” said Stephon Marbury, coach of Beijing. – Agencies
