BEIJING, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Xu Jie scored a game-high 30 points and dished out eight assists to lead the Guangdong Southern Tigers to a commanding 106-87 road win over the Xinjiang Flying Tigers in the 38th round of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) on Monday.
China national team captain Zhao Rui faced his former club for the first time in league play since his transfer to Xinjiang in 2023. However, the anticipated showdown quickly turned one-sided as Xinjiang struggled from the start.
Xinjiang shot just 33.7% from the field, while the agile Xu orchestrated Guangdong's offense with efficiency. The guard even delivered a highlight-reel block on Xinjiang's center Li Yanzhe.
Guangdong stretched its lead to as many as 32 points in the fourth quarter before sealing the comfortable win.
In another matchup, the Zhejiang Golden Bulls and the Beijing Ducks battled neck-and-neck until the final quarter.
With the score tied at 94, Zhejiang's offense stalled, and Beijing capitalized with a 15-0 run led by Eugene German, who finished with 35 points and 10 assists to secure a 120-112 victory on the road.
Elsewhere, the Liaoning Flying Leopards won over the Jilin Northeast Tigers 112-99, the Zhejiang Lions overcame the Nanjing Monkey Kings 105-98, the Shanxi Loongs beat the Jiangsu Dragons 93-83, the Beijing Royal Fighter edged the Qingdao Eagles 95-89, the Shanghai Sharks swept the Shandong Heroes 102-83, the Guangzhou Loong Lions defeated the Fujian Sturgeons 109-101, and the Ningbo Rockets overpowered the Tianjin Pioneers 124-116. ■
