Shandong doom Guangdong to worst start to a CBA season in eight years

The Shandong Kylins beat the Guangdong Southern Tigers 115-105 in Jinan, east China's Shandong Province, on Tuesday, dooming the 11-time former Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) champions to start a season with two straight losses for the first time in eight years.

Both sides were lousy with the ball, as they combined for 49 turnovers in the game, but Guangdong slightly "outperformed" Shandong in the turnover battle 28-21, allowing the Kylins to launch multiple fastbreaks for easy points in transition.

Five players scored in double figures for Shandong, led Lindell Wigginton's 26 points off the bench. The home team's defensive efforts were highlighted by starters Jarmar Gulley, Chen Peidong and Gao Shiyan each contributing four steals, while Marquese Chriss added three blocks.

That aggressive defense enabled the Kylins to take control from the start, as they ended the first quarter ahead 29-22, and extended their advantage to double digits in the second. But Hu Mingxuan helped Guangdong close the gap to eight points, 57-49, with consecutive buckets before halftime.

Guangdong took another hit in the third quarter when Xu Jie exited with an ankle sprain. The team's playmaking fell into even worse chaos before he returned after receiving medical treatment. Shandong increased the lead to 86-73 at the end of the third quarter, and showed signs of surging to a one-sided rout.

The Kylins opened the final quarter with a 9-2 run. Although Xu's return improved the visiting team's offense, the Southern Tigers struggled to make shots, missing a number of open jumpers. Shandong went on wrap up a 10-point victory over Guangdong to claim their first win of the new season.