CBA highlights on Aug. 7: Liaoning edge out Xinjiang 119-113

The Liaoning Flying Leopards edged out the Xinjiang Flying Tigers 119-113 during the China Basketball (CBA) game on Friday.

It was the second loss for Xinjiang to Liaoning after their 88-116 defeat during the first semifinal on August 5.

Liaoning's Han Dejun scored a game-high 35 points, 20 blocks while his teammate Guo Ailun added nine assists.

Han Dejun (L) of the Liaoning Flying Leopards battles for the ball with Zhou Qi of the Xinjiang Flying Tigers during the CBA game in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, August 7, 2020. /VCG

In contrast, the best player from the Xinjiang side was their rising star Qi Lin with 22 points.

The 21-year-old freshman finished with a team-high 15 points and seven rebounds, and is averaging 10.6 points over the past five games in his CBA debut season.

"Victory is the priority. I would like to be more energetic on the court and more aggressive on the defensive end," said Qi, who dropped out of Tsinghua University, one of the most prestigious universities in China, to join Xinjiang last year.

Many overseas players are unable to travel to China due to the international travel restrictions amid the COVID-19 pandemic; eleven teams out of 20 have played with all domestic players since the CBA resumed on June 20.

Under such circumstances, domestic youngsters like Qi have had more time to show their talent.

Qi Lin (R) of the Xinjiang Flying Tigers cheers with a teammate during the CBA game in Qingdao, east China, August 5, 2020. /VCG

In another semifinal game between the Guangdong Southern Tigers and the Beijing Ducks, rookie Xu Jie grabbed a total of six rebounds including a key one in overtime, helping the defending champions turn the tables.

Hu Mingxuan of Guangdong scored two three-pointers in the last quarter to launch the comeback.

"Hu didn't dare to shoot in the first three quarters as this was a semifinal game, and I told him to unload the burden and just shoot. This game is a big step for the young guy," said Du Feng, head coach of Guangdong.

After scoring 48 points including nine three-pointers in the quarterfinals, guard Wu Qian of the Zhejiang Golden Bulls got a new nickname, the "Stephen Curry of CBA."

"If I had buried one more or had made one less mistake, the result might be different. This season is over, and I won't let you down next year," Wu wrote on social media Weibo after Zhejiang lost to Liaoning.

"Wu became more experienced this season, and I hope he continues working hard and leads the team going ahead," said Liu Weiwei, head coach of Zhejiang.

(With input from Xinhua)