Xinjiang Flying Tigers Triumph Over Beijing Ducks as Key Players Return

In the latest showdown of the CBA Club Cup, the Xinjiang Flying Tigers soared past the Beijing Ducks with an 85-79 victory . This win was especially sweet as star players Zhao Rui and Qi Lin made their comeback from injuries, bringing their A-game to help secure the Flying Tigers' first win in Group D.

After a day of rest, the tournament resumed in the vibrant city of Qingdao, where Group D leaders Beijing Ducks faced off against last season's Finals runners-up, Xinjiang Flying Tigers. The Ducks, fresh off two straight wins, were confident, but the Flying Tigers had a trick up their sleeves: the return of Zhao Rui and Qi Lin who were absent in Xinjiang's opening game against Nanjing.

Zhao Rui, the dynamic guard, shared his excitement: \"This was my first game in the CBA Club Cup, and I prepared very well. I know my physical condition is getting better and better, so I want to display my ability in a different way to help our team.\"

Beijing's own Qi Lin couldn't hide his relief: \"Zhao Rui is an essential part of our team, because he can help us with outside shooting and organizing, so I'm happy he came back from injury here.\"

The game started with Xinjiang trailing in the first quarter, but Zhao Rui's entry from the bench turned the tide. He made pivotal plays including a crucial steal and setting up teammate QJ Peterson to tie the score before assisting Dedric Lawson to extend the comeback. By halftime, the Flying Tigers led by five points, outscoring Beijing 19-11 in the second quarter.

Xinjiang's coach Liu Wei emphasized the team's focus on performance over the scoreboard: \"Winning or losing is not the most important thing here, because we know Beijing did not have several key players. We focused more on our performance, and overall, I think both teams played very well, and I hope everybody enjoyed the game.\"

Despite Zhang Cairen from Beijing Ducks, who is a Xinjiang native, scoring a game-high 24 points, Qi Lin contributed 11 crucial points in the fourth quarter to seal the deal. Qi emphasized the mental aspect of his game: \"I think my shooting form mostly depends on my mentality, because we practice shooting thousands of times in training. Mindset is the most important thing, and after making some adjustments, I regained my form.\"

Looking ahead, Beijing remains at the top of the standings with 2 wins and 1 loss, while Xinjiang and Nanjing are both at 1 win and 1 loss. Saturday's matchups will see Liaoning face Nanjing and Xinjiang take on Qingdao, with the top two teams from Group D advancing to the next stage.

Stay tuned for more exciting action from the CBA Club Cup!

Reference(s):

Xinjiang rally past Beijing 85-79 in CBA Club Cup

cgtn.com