ZHUJI, China, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Zhejiang Golden Bulls, the Jilin Northeast Tigers and the Liaoning Flying Leopards all opened the season with a six-game winning streak, while the Tianjin Pioneers suffered their sixth straight loss after falling 108-95 to the Guangzhou Loong Lions in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) league here on Friday.
Zhejiang shrugged off the Shenzhen Aviators 91-74. Jilin got over the Beijing Royal Fighters 99-81. Liaoning crushed the Nanjing Monkey Kings 125-99.
Zhu Xuhang contributed 10 points in the first quarter to help Zhejiang obtain a 33-20 advantage going into the second quarter.
A worrying scene took place midway through the second quarter when the Golden Bulls captain Wu Qian hurt his left foot and left the court. But substitute guard Lin Xiaotian stepped up to score eight points, giving Zhejiang a 48-36 halftime advantage.
The Golden Bulls built their biggest advantage at 75-55 late in the third quarter and left opponents little hope of a comeback in the final period.
The Northeast Tigers grabbed a 31-15 lead in the first quarter following a 7-0 run. Led by former NBA player Joseph Young, the Royal Fighters fought back and narrowed the gap to five points in the second quarter.
With more players putting on the scoreboard, Jilin managed to regain an advantage of around 20 points and held it until the end.
Jiang Yuxing led Jilin with 21 points. Dai Huaibo had 20 points, and Cui Jinming pocketed 18 points.
Liaoning was too strong for Nanjing, as seven players managed double-digit points to keep the league's powerhouses marching forward.
Chen Yingjun and Dallas Moore combined for 15 points as Guangzhou jumped to a 16-2 start before leading 27-18 at the end of the first quarter.
Despite big man Marko Todorovic's domination in the paint, Tianjin was a follower throughout the game, cutting its deficit within seven points midway through the final quarter. Still, a more balanced Guangzhou side pulled away from the match.
Todorovic recorded 30 points and 16 boards, but Guangzhou saw five players score in double figures, led by Moore's 23.
Tianjin is one of two winless outfits so far in the current campaign, with the Fujian Sturgeons being the other.
The Xinjiang Flying Tigers overcame the Jiangsu Dragons 113-100 but suffered much scare in the final 12 minutes. Leading by 27 points heading into the final frame, Xinjiang was outscored by Jiangsu 37-23 from there.
Also, on Friday, the Qingdao Eagles outplayed the Shandong Heroes 103-91. Enditem
