Chinese center Zhou Qi dropped 10 points, eight rebounds and two blocks in his first appearance with the South East Melbourne Phoenix in the National Basketball League (NBL) preseason game against the Sydney Kings at Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre on Saturday.

The Phoenix defeated the Kings 81-75.

Having started for the Phoenix, Zhou scored his first point in the Australian league in the second quarter at the free throw line after he was fouled trying to make a putback dunk. He didn't wait long before making his first field goal (FG), which was another putback shot. This time Zhou slammed the ball into the hoop with no surprises.

All four FGs Zhou made were dunks, which showed great finishing ability on his side. The three offensive rebounds and two blocks he got also proved that Zhou is able to keep up with the pace of the NBL. Before he could develop more offensive weapons, focusing on defensive work and making smart cut-ins to secure easy baskets could help him earn more trust from the team.

If the first game taught Zhou anything, it's that he needs to work more on adapting to officiating in the Australian league. Committing five personal fouls in less than 20 minutes is not the best he could do. Though Australian basketball has been known for being physical, it's not rough. In fact, such style requires players to be smart on the floor, especially on defense.

"There goes my first game. I will work harder and continue to do better!" Zhou posted on Sina Weibo after Saturday's game. He also congratulated his Chinese national team teammate Wang Zhelin for being named the Defensive Player of the Month in the CBA.

"Relax, it's just a preseason game," Chinese basketball commentator Zhu Yanshuo said of Zhou's debut performance.

The Phoenix will play against the Illawarra Hawks in their next game on November 15.