Liaoning and Qingdao players in action during a CBA game in Shenyang, China, October 22, 2024. /CFP
In the Chinese Basketball Association, three time defending champions the Liaoning Flying Leopards beat the Qingdao Eagles at home to stay perfect with their fifth victory in a row on Tuesday.
New guard Quinndary Weatherspoon put Qingdao ahead 22-14. Liaoning's Kyle Fogg dropped a three-pointer and the Flying Leopards trailed 26-22 by the end of the first quarter. The former NBA guard scored a game-high 30 points.
Zhao Jiwei lobbed to South Sudan center Lual Acuil, for an alley-oop as part of Liaoning's 10-0 run in about 3 minutes. And when Fogg laid it in, Liaoning led 63-48 in the third quarter.
Liaoning maintained their double-digit lead, and went on claim their big win 106-83 on a three-pointer from Zhao Jiwei.
Elsewhere, the Beijing Ducks hosted the Xinjiang Flying Tigers, and also claimed their fifth consecutive win.
Xinjiang led 20-17 on Qi Lin's lay-up. Beijing then went ahead, but Qi's three got Xinjiang within 6. Zeng Fanbo went coast to coast and scored while being fouled. Xinjiang regained the lead by one.
Li Yanzhe found Qi whose dunk tied the score at 37. Li later got injured while grabbinga rebound, received medical treatment and returned to the court soon after. Qi then rattled in a corner three and Xinjiang led 77-69.
But Beijing came back. A turnover ended with Chen Yingjun's lay-up at the other end and the Ducks led 81-77.
Eugene German split the defense and passed back to Lei Meng who drained a deuce while being fouled with a minute to go. Beijing win 98-89 for their fifth victory in a row to start the new season.
In other games, Zhejiang lost to Shandong at home 102-108, visiting Shanghai eased past Jiangsu 100-92. Jilin beat Shanxi 130-119, while Tianjin suffered a defeat to Shenzhen 103-114.