Basketball fans, grab your ☕ and get ready for some CBA drama! On the road, the Guangdong Southern Tigers flexed their championship muscles with a 93-85 victory over the Guangzhou Loong Lions, keeping their perfect streak alive at 5-0. 🏀🔥 Meanwhile, the Jiangsu Dragons soared to their first win of the season, giving their supporters plenty to cheer about.
Head coach Du Feng's squad came out strong even without star guard Hu Mingxuan (leg injury), as Xu Jie knocked down an early three to make it 6-2. Guangzhou fought back thanks to Lindell Wigginton, who closed the gap to one with a slick mid-range jumper. But the Tigers responded in style: Jared Sullinger nailed a corner triple to cap a 33-23 opening quarter lead.
The second quarter saw more back-and-forth action. Justin Holiday's and-1 layup put the Loong Lions up 43-41, with Wigginton pouring in a team-high 20 points. Yet Trevelin Queen's lightning-quick drives helped Guangdong pull ahead 52-50 at the break.
After the halftime buzzer, Liu Yancheng knocked down back-to-back threes to give Guangzhou a brief lead, but the Tigers clicked into gear in the third. Edmond Sumner found Xu for another big triple, extending the margin to 74-68. In the fourth, Sumner's crafty layup and Xu's perfect pass to Sullinger (who finished with a game-high 32) sealed the deal.
With the Southern Tigers perfect at 5-0 and sitting second in the standings, the CBA season is already delivering thrills. Keep an eye on those Jiangsu Dragons, too—they've caught fire with their first win and look ready to shake up the leaderboard. Who's your pick for the next breakout team? 🤔
Reference(s):
Guangdong Southern Tigers stay perfect, Jiangsu Dragons get first win
cgtn.com
