Weatherspoon leads Qingdao to 99-88 victory over Nanjing with epic 56 points

The Qingdao Eagles beat the Nanjing Monkey Kings 99-88 at home in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, on Thursday, extending their season-opening winning streak to three games in the Chinese Basketball Association.

American guard Quinndary Weatherspoon made 16 of his 20 field goal attempts and 19 of his 20 free throws to score a season-high 56 points for Qingdao. He reached double figures in each of the first three quarters, with the Eagles leading 84-66 entering the final period.

Weatherspoon continued to display his offensive dominance in the fourth quarter, becoming the first CBA player to reach 50 points this season, Qingdao maintained a double-digit lead over Nanjing on the way to an 11-point victory.

In another key game, the Xinjiang Flying Tigers defeated the Beijing Royal Fighters 105-95 on the road in Beijing, earning their second win of the season.

Beijing took a huge hit two minutes into the first quarter, as All-Star big man Shen Zijie was forced to exit early due to an apparent ankle injury. His absence left a defensive void that Xinjiang exploited repeatedly, scoring 66 points in the first half to lead by 17 at the break.

The Royal Fighters tried to rally in the second half behind Grant Riller's penetration and Zou Yuchen's outside shooting, but only managed to pull back eight points in the third quarter, before watching the Flying Tigers seize control again in the final period.

In the end, the team from the Chinese capital side suffered its first loss of the season, leaving both sides with records of 2-1.

Thursday's other results (home teams listed first):

Ningbo Rockets 81-72 Shenzhen Leopards

Fujian Sturgeons 80-98 Guangsha Lions

Jilin Northeast Tigers 90-80 Tianjin Pioneers

Shanxi Loongs 102-91 Zhejiang Golden Bulls