The Beijing Ducks claimed their fifth consecutive win, after defeating the Guangzhou Loong Lions 101-82 in the 12th round of the 2024-25 Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) league regular season on Monday.
Zeng Fanbo and his Beijing Ducks teammates beat the Guangzhou Loong Lions 101-82 in a CBA regular season game in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China, December 2, 2024. /CFP
Guangzhou took a 12-point lead in the first quarter, but Beijing gradually strengthened its offense to grab the momentum after halftime, en route to victory. After 12 rounds of regular season games, the Ducks continue to top the standings, boasting a record of 11-1.
Zeng Fanbo and Eugene German shared the game-high of 20 points for Beijing, ahead of Friday's highly-anticipated first Capital Clash on the road the Beikong Royal Fighters, who beat the Nanjing Monkey Kings 117-100 on Sunday.
In other action on Sunday, the Sichuan Blue Whales rallied past the Guangdong Southern Tigers 104-94.
Sichuan took control with an overwhelming 41-15 run in the third quarter. Although the Southern Tigers outscored the Blue Whales 22-12 in the final quarter, the hosts held on to prevail by 10 points in the end.
Edmond Sumner tallied 32 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists for Sichuan, while Guangdong's Xu Jie shared the game-high after also scoring 32 points.
"It was not a full roster for Guangdong, with the absence of several key players like Hu Mingxuan and Du Runwang. Our young players performed well, but they need to learn how to keep the momentum after taking a big lead," said Sichuan coach Han Shuo.
Sunday's other games featured seven players scoring in double digits to give the Shanxi Loongs a 140-116 victory against the Ningbo Rockets, while the three-time defending champion Liaoning Flying Leopards defeated the Shenzhen Leopards 100-93 to claim their fourth consecutive win, and the Tianjin Pioneers raced past the winless Jiangsu Dragons 96-79.
Monday's contests concluded with the Xinjiang Flying Tigers extending their winning streak to seven games after edging the Zhejiang Golden Bulls 125-119, while the Guangsha Lions fended off the Jilin Northeast Tigers 99-90, Yang Hansen's 30 points and 15 rebounds led the Qingdao Eagles past the Fujian Sturgeons 121-114, and the Shandong Kylins beat Shanghai 115-101 to inflict a sixth straight loss on the Sharks, who fell to 1-10.
The 13th round of regular season games will tip off on Tuesday.