The Xinjiang Flying Tigers' bid to beat Guangdong Southern Tigers for the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) title this season has been dealt a huge blow, with star center Zhou Qi suffering an injury that sent him to the hospital.
An exceptionally gutsy performance earned Xinjiang a 128-125 victory over Qingdao Eagles on Sunday night, but Adiljan Suleyman's side, who were already without the influential Abudushalamu Abudurexiti due to a serious knee injury, lost Zhou just one minute into the hard-fought game.
The 23-year-old China international collided with Qingdao's Wang Qingming and then fell awkwardly on the court in what appeared to be a defensive mix-up. He was forced to hobble off and rushed to hospital, with Xinjiang fearing a potential fractured vertebra.
Zhou Qi (C) receives treatment on the court during the CBA clash between Xinjiang Flying Tigers and Qingdao Eagles in Qingdao on December 29, 2019.
Zhou is currently undergoing further tests to determine the seriousness of the injury. There were initial fears he could be out for the next few months, and the absence of such a key player is a major concern for Adiljan, who guided Xinjiang to the runner-up last season and vowed to challenge defending champion Guangdong's hegemony in the new campaign.
"Our team have been plagued with injuries, but each and every player has tried his utmost to win this game. I'm very satisfied with their performance," said Adiljan, who chose to highlight the positives.
Six players reached double figures for Xinjiang as Kay Felder notched a team-high 25 points, Jarnell Stokes pitched in 16, Fan Ziming scored 23 and Xiralijan Muhtar added 17. Qingdao's Darius Adams had a game-high 44 points but ultimately in vain as his team's six-game winning streak came to a halt.
Yi Jianlian collects 19 points for Guangdong Southern Tigers, who cruise to their fifth straight victory on December 29, 2019.
Elsewhere, Yi Jianlian finished with 19 points and 13 rebounds as the host Guangzhou recorded a 129-114 victory over Jiangsu Dragons. Lance Stephenson collected 37 points, 6 assists and 10 rebounds to lead Liaoning Flying Leopards past Shanxi Loongs 116-108.
Shanghai Sharks edged Sichuan Blue Whale at home 105-101. Donatas Motiejunas recorded 31 points and 20 rebounds, Dong Hanlin scored 17 points, Luo Xudong tallied 13.