The South East Melbourne Phoenix beat the New Zealand Breakers 89-65 at John Cain Arena on Saturday, beginning their new National Basketball League (NBL) season with a big win.

Chinese center Zhou Qi of the Phoenix went 4-7 in field goals (FGs) to get eight points, five rebounds and three blocks in his debut in the regular season.

Since he sprained his right ankle in the previous 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian qualifier game against Japan, the Phoenix did not put Zhou in the starting lineup for health concerns but gave him more than 20 minutes on the floor.

Zhou's first goal scored was an off-ball cut-in toward the rim. The only pity was that he missed the "+1" free throw. At 1:58, Zhou received the ball on the left of the paint. He posted up, beat the defense with a quick spin and slammed the ball into the basket over the defender. That dunk ignited the arena.

Zhou further showed his defensive power by delivering three blocks, including a two-handed catch block from behind, in the rest of the game.
Zhou played three pre-season games for the Phoenix before departing for the World Cup qualifier game in Japan. In an interview with Xinhua News Agency on Wednesday, Zhou said he's performing better and better.

"The pace of the game here is faster than I expected," Zhou told Xinhua. "Offense is actually simpler. It has a higher requirement of speed for players."

Chinese fans were spotted attending Saturday's game and showing support for Zhou. Many left warm-hearted and encouraging comments for Zhou after he left the CBA for the NBL and during his recovery from an injury.

"I want to thank fans for their support. It gives players great strength. I'm focusing on doing anything I can to help the team win in the league. I think that's a realistic goal and my top priority right now," Zhou said.

The Phoenix are hosting the Breakers again in the next game on December 10.