CBA roundup: Xinjiang, Beijing grab close wins in season debut

BEIJING -- The Xinjiang Flying Tigers secured a 95-88 comeback victory over the Jiangsu Dragons, while the Beijing Royal Fighters held off a fourth-quarter comeback from the Qingdao Eagles to win 109-103 in the first round of the 2023-24 Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) league season on Monday.

Xinjiang, which bolstered its squad during the off-season with the arrival of Chinese international Zhao Rui, Jiangsu's center Wu Guanxi and former Dallas Mavericks standout Dominique Jones, is considered as one of the title favorites along with the defending champion Liaoning and seven-time league winner Guangdong.

The match against Jiangsu, however, wasn't without suspense as Xinjiang went into the game sluggishly, trailing 28-22 by the end of the first quarter. The hosts led as many as seven points during the second quarter and managed to keep an advantage at 49-47 before the interval.

Xinjiang's hands were freezing cold beyond the arc as they only made one three-pointer during the first half. Back from the locker room, Zhao Rui and Qi Lin started to make trouble from downtown, and Xinjiang found their rhythm back by taking control of the rebounds.

Throughout the game, the visitors had 46.8 percent in offensive rebounds, which gave them more chances to shoot especially during the third quarter when Xinjiang took the lead back.

Entering the final quarter with a 70-66 lead, Xinijang held off rounds of counterattacks from Jiangsu and led by double-digit for the first time after Abdusalam Abdurexit's layup gave his team a 91-80 lead with less than two minutes on the clock.

Abdusalam led Xinjiang with a game-high 27 points, while Zhao Rui added 21.

Elsewhere, Beijing went into the fourth quarter with a huge lead of 91-76, but Qingdao stormed with a 20-6 run in eight minutes to cut the deficit to 97-96.

Kahlil Felder stood out to carry Beijing on his shoulders with consecutive points and assists. After Chen Guohao nailed a three-pointer with 12 seconds on the clock, Beijing secured its first win of the season in front of home crowd.