The Tianjin Pioneers lost to the Xinjiang Flying Tigers 105-93 on Saturday night. Considering the strength gap between the two teams, a 12-point loss was not unacceptable to Tianjin. In fact, though they trailed 15-2 from the beginning, Tianjin's young boys showed excellent fighting spirit in the rest of the game. Though they were pinned down in rebounds, assists and blocks, Tianjin was the more aggressive side as it led 19-13 in free throws.
Five players on Tianjin's side reached double-digit points and Jin Xin had a game-high 26 after going 9-10 on the court. On Xinjiang's side, four of the starting-lineup played less than 30 minutes. Coach Adiljan Suleyman gave bench players more time on the court so they could get themselves ready before the playoffs. The reserves responded to coach's trust by contributing 57 points, 22 rebounds and 11 assists. Four scored 10-plus points off the bench.