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E-mail Xinhua, January 7, 2024
The Qingdao Eagles stunned the Zhejiang Golden Bulls 114-100, with Myles Powell of Qingdao finishing with his fourth triple-double of the season in the 26th round of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) League on Saturday.
Powell was in exceptional form, leading with 40 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists. His prowess was particularly evident from beyond the arc, where he landed eight out of 13 three-pointer attempts.
Supporting Powell, Yang Hansen put up 22 points for Qingdao, while Wang Ruize and Zhao Jiayi contributed significantly with 17 points each.
The Eagles' victory was largely attributed to their effective three-point shooting and robust defense. They made an impressive 14 of 35 three-point attempts, accounting for 46.7% of their total points.
Reflecting on the team's strategy, Qingdao head coach Liu Wei remarked, "We had our defensive tactics well-prepared and successfully contained some of their key players."
Qingdao's defense particularly troubled Zhejiang's Wu Qian, a renowned point guard, limiting him to just one free-throw point in the first half. Wu, known for his remarkable three-point shooting in previous games, struggled to find his rhythm until late in the third quarter.
Despite Wu eventually scoring a pair of consecutive three-pointers, boosting his career total to 1,096 and advancing to seventh place on the all-time three-point shooters list, his efforts were insufficient for a Zhejiang comeback. Qingdao maintained a commanding lead, at one point extending it to 25 points, and eventually rotated out all their starting players in the final moments.
In another closely contested match, the Nanjing Monkey Kings narrowly defeated the Fujian Sturgeons 95-91. Nanjing overcame a first-quarter deficit, leading 52-49 at halftime. Despite a challenging third quarter, they regained control in the final quarter, largely thanks to Antonio Blakeney's scoring prowess and Lin Wei's crucial long-range shots.
In the game's critical last five minutes, Blakeney initiated an 8-1 run, reclaiming a 91-89 lead for Nanjing with just a minute remaining. Lin Wei's decisive three-pointer with 35 seconds left effectively sealed the game's outcome.
Additional games saw the Beijing Ducks overpowering the Tianjin Pioneers 115-99, the Shenzhen Aviators decisively beating the Jiangsu Dragons 110-90, and the Shanghai Sharks triumphing over the Shandong Heroes 106-96.
