CBA: Zhejiang cruises past Ningbo, Sichuan noses out Shanxi

Kay Felder (2nd L) of Shanxi Loongs competes during the 1st round match between Sichuan Blue Whales and Shanxi Loongs at the 2022-2023 season of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) league in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, Oct. 12, 2022. (Xinhua/Chen Zhenhai)

HANGZHOU, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Zhejiang Lions had a landslide victory over the Ningbo Rockets 97-73, while the Sichuan Blue Whales nosed out the Shanxi Loongs 108-103 to conclude the first round of the 2022-2023 Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) season on Wednesday.

Zhejiang had a smooth start led by its power forward Liu Zeyi who made all his four shots and two freethrows to score 10 points and contributed five rebounds, two assists and two blocks in a single quarter. Jarmar Gulley added eight points to help Zhejiang end the first quarter 33-24.

Ningbo tried to cut the gap in the second quarter via fiercer attacks towards the basket and more passes, only to see frequent turnovers and missing layups. Zhejiang grabbed the chance to further expand the gap, ending the halftime 55-32.

Led by the two foreign players Clarence Trotter and Brandon Taylor, Ningbo showed stronger positivity in striving for rebounds in the second half but failed to find their shootings outside. Zhejiang rode on the momentum to lead by over 30 points in the quarter and make it a one-sided game.

The game between the Guangzhou Loong Lions and the Qingdao Eagles was eye-catching as Jeremy Lin made his debut for Guangzhou. Lin came off the bench and scored six points in 13 minutes.

Guangzhou struggled for the whole night on the offensive side, failing to score more than 20 points in all four quarters in their 80-59 humiliation by Qingdao.

Unlike the two lopsided games, Sichuan and Shanxi had a neck for neck match. The two teams tied 82-82 to enter the last quarter, which was also a seesaw round. Marlain Veal stood out in the clutch time, scoring five consecutive points to help Sichuan turn the tide in the last minutes.

Veal had a superstar showing in the match, shooting 14 out of 32 to snatch 37 points, and his teammate Yuan Zhenliang dominated the paint with 16 rebounds.