Last night at the Wukesong Arena, the Beijing Ducks welcomed the team tied for the most titles in league history, eight time champions the Guangdong Southern Tigers. The side from the Capital have won three in the past six years with the last coming in 2015 while their opponents haven't lifted the trophy in five years. Mike Fox explains what last night's encounter told us about two of this year's favourites and how the league is shaping up this year.

Most fans came late to the home of the Beijing Duck last night due to heavy traffic and a hazy day in the Chinese Capital. The challenging conditions wouldn't stop them from enjoying the first game of the new-season which saw Guangdong, led by veteran Yi Jianlian, hoping to get their season up and running with a win in front of the famously hostile Ducks crowd.   

"I expect a good game in the season opener, and the young players should play better as another year has passed."

"The Ducks have made a few changes with some new blood blended into the team. Stephon Marbury led us in the previous era and I hope we can continue that momentum."

"I have been following Beijing for 10 years. The fact that this year the CBA has undergone reform means the strength of each team has to be increased while also keeping their tradition."

With thousands of fans cheering in the background, the opening game tipped off. In the opening stages the players failed to match the energy levels of the crowd with the Duck's squad of youngster failing to find their rhythm and both sides struggling at both ends of the court. 

YI JIANLIAN GUANGDONG CENTER "The game plan changed according to the circumstances. We couldn't predict if the ball could go in or not and we were making constant adjustments and the game was relatively close. It's not the case that every team gets into their best form early in the season. It's not the routine of basketball."

The Southern Tigers led for most of the night, even though the Ducks  managed to mount a come back in the third quarter. The visitors  were the more stable outfit while their hosts paid the price for some sluggish defence. This crucial three from Malcolm Delaney put the Southern Tigers up by four late on and eventually handed them a 87-84 victory.

A brand new season format has been installed this year, featuring more games and a longer process in both the regular season and the playoffs. And even with names like Stephon Marbury missing from the league's roster, it hopes to grow under the guidance of NBA hall of famer and CBA president Yao Ming as Chinese basketball marches on. Mike Fox CGTN.