QINGDAO, China, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Zhou Qi collected a game-high 33 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, helping the Xinjiang Flying Tigers ease past the Nanjing Monkey Kings 99-85 in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) 2019-20 season here on Friday.
Tang Yucai hit three 3-pointers while Xinjiang made a total of seven 3-pointers in the first quarter, taking a 37-19 lead before the second quarter started.
Nanjing hit back in the second quarter. Hamed Haddadi's 3-pointer put Nanjing on a 27-15 run to narrow the gap to single digit at the end of the quarter.
Zhou Qi took over the game in the third quarter. He made six of seven shots, helping Xinjiang to an 83-63 lead on the way to the win.
"Although we won the game, there are still some shortcomings that need to be paid attention to," said Xinjiang head coach Adiljan after the game.
Hamed Haddadi grabbed an incredible 20 rebounds but couldn't help Nanjing win. Qiao Wenhan had 16 points and 14 rebounds for Nanjing.
Xinjiang's Tang Caiyu scored 20 points while Zeng Lingxu was one rebound short of a triple-double.
"We only had eight players available, but the whole team did a good job defensively," Nanjing coach Cui Wanjun said.
Both Xinjiang and Nanjing will have a short break before their next games. Xinjiang will next take on the Jilin Northeast Tigers on Tuesday, while Nanjing will face the Shenzhen Aviators on Wednesday. Enditem
