The inaugural CBA Club Cup's first phase concluded on a high note with the Beijing Ducks and the Xinjiang Flying Tigers securing their spots in the quarterfinals. 🏆
In a nail-biting Group D showdown in Qingdao, the Ducks triumphed over the Nanjing Monkey Kings with a convincing 91-75 victory. Eugene German made a spectacular return from a recent ankle sprain, dropping a game-high 27 points, inspired by his six-month-old son. 🏀👶
His teammate, Anunwa Omot, added 20 points, propelling Beijing to a solid 3-1 record, while Nanjing bowed out with 1-3.
\"We treated this game as a decisive battle. We won the game, and our players also made breakthroughs in their mentality, so overall, I'm very satisfied with our performance here,\" said Beijing coach Xu Limin. 💪
Meanwhile, the Xinjiang Flying Tigers edged past the Liaoning Flying Leopards, also finishing 3-1. A head-to-head win ensured they topped Group D.
\"I think the Club Cup has great significance for our team. Our young players got more opportunities to play, while our foreign players now fit in better with the team, so I'm very satisfied,\" said Xinjiang's Liu. 🐅
With a grueling \"group of death\" behind them, featuring 10 intense games over 5 days, both teams are set to battle it out in the knockout phase come February. The journey doesn't stop here, as the regular season resumes on November 27. 📅✨
