CGTN Exclusive: Zhejiang Golden Bulls storm back to stun Beijing Ducks in CBA thriller

The Zhejiang Golden Bulls staged a dramatic fourth-quarter comeback, powered by Gabe York's game-high 34 points, to defeat the Beijing Ducks 106-99 in a high-octane Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) regular-season clash on Thursday night. The victory spoiled Beijing's regular-season farewell celebration at the Capital Indoor Stadium, serving as a fiery preview of postseason intensity ahead.

The contest seesawed early, with the Ducks and Golden Bulls trading leads until Chen Ying-Chun and Nuni Omot sparked a 15-point Beijing advantage midway through the third quarter. However, momentum shifted drastically when Beijing star Zhou Qi suffered an eye injury following a collision with Yu Jiahao while battling for a rebound. The incident left the Ducks reeling as their defensive anchor exited for medical evaluation—a critical blow to a team aiming to secure home-court advantage in the playoffs.

"We hope Zhou Qi, it's nothing important, and we need him on offense, defense, both sides. Everybody knows how important he is for us, and not just him, the whole team gotta be ready for the Playoffs, for the high quality games like this." Said Zeng Fanbo, Beijing Ducks Forward.

Zhejiang capitalized on Beijing's disarray.  With three minutes remaining, Wu Qian found York for a breakaway layup that tied the score at 96. The sharp-shooting guard then drilled a trio of treys over the next two and a half minutes to cement the comeback, with teammates fully confident in his clutch capability, as coach Zhu Peng's side urgently needed shots to start falling.

"When he's flowing, I mean sometimes he doesn't even need a ball screen, like, he just gets it off himself. So yeah, we have full faith in him, and whenever he needs a ball screen or something like that, but whenever he's in a groove, you know, we just know it's on." praised teammate Damian Jones.  

The defeat marked Beijing's fourth loss in 23 home games this season, while Zhejiang's victory showcased the league's parity as playoff races tighten. Despite the loss, Beijing (31-14) remains in fourth place, clinging to the league's final first-round bye. They'll close the regular season Monday against the Tianjin Pioneers. Meanwhile, Zhejiang (29-16) looks to climb from eighth place with a finale versus the Ningbo Rockets, eyeing momentum ahead of a potential postseason run.