QINGDAO, China, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Jeremy Lin collected 22 points, nine rebounds and three steals on Wednesday, leading the Beijing Ducks to a 78-67 win over the Xinjiang Flying Tigers.
"No matter whether the team is behind or ahead, the players can handle it calmly. This is the most positive thing about this match. And thanks for trusting our young coach team," said Beijing coach Xie Libin.
Beijing raced to an 11-0 run at the beginning of the first quarter, as center Zhou Qi made two free throws to break the ice for Xinjiang.
The match was very fierce in the second quarter. Jeremy Lin's jump shots and fast break helped Beijing to the lead. However, with a Zeng Lingxu's three-pointer and Yu Changdong's two and one, Xinjiang came from behind at the first half.
In the third quarter, Beijing led Xinjiang with 24-21. Jeremy Lin kept up his performance to score 22 points in three quarters.
Beijing's foreign center Ekpe Udoh was strong in rebounds and blocks in the last quarter. Xinjiang's players were troubled by fouls and missed several three-pointers in the final minutes.
"We did a good job in defense, keeping the high-scoring team ended up with 67 points total. I will get better to help my team in the tough games," said Udoh.
Udoh contributed 16 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks for Beijing, while Zhai Xiaochuan had 10 points, five rebounds and six assists. Zhou Qi led Xinjiang with 17 points and 14 rebounds. Enditem
