Zhejiang Defeats Liaoning with a Fourth-Quarter Surge, Led by Yuek's 31 Points
On January 19th, Beijing time, in a CBA regular season match, Zhejiang Men's Basketball Team defeated Liaoning Men's Basketball Team with a score of 101-88, securing their second consecutive victory while ending Liaoning's winning streak. Zhejiang led by 2 points after the first quarter, Liaoning overtook by 2 points at halftime, Zhejiang regained an 8-point lead by the end of the third quarter, and ultimately sealed the victory by extending their lead to over 10 points in the final quarter.
Team Statistics
Liaoning: Zhao Jiwei with 6 points and 2 assists, Fuge with 23 points and 4 assists, Yan Shouqi with 11 points, Weber with 10 points and 8 rebounds, Han Dejun with 10 points and 14 rebounds, and Weis with 18 points.
Zhejiang: Jones with 25 points and 15 rebounds, Cheng Shaipeng with 22 points and 2 assists, Yu Jiahao with 7 points and 10 rebounds, and Yuek with 31 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists.
Star of the Game - Yuek
In the second quarter, Yuek single-handedly took on the entire Liaoning team, scoring 23 points including 6 three-pointers, which was explosive. Throughout the game, Yuek scored 31 points with 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and 8 three-pointers.
Trivia
Before the game, Fuge was named the Player of the Week for the tenth week, averaging 35.7 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 3.3 steals, and 1 block per game in 3 matches, with an average of 4.3 three-pointers made.
Liu Zeyi returned after missing three games.
The starting lineup for Zhejiang included Kobe Simmons and Liu Zeyi, who both returned to the court, while Liaoning fielded four foreign players.
Game Recap
Zhejiang started strong with a 7-0 run, and it was Fuge's layup that broke Liaoning's scoring drought. After this shot, Liaoning seemed to find their rhythm as Li Xiaoxu hit from outside, Weis broke through upon entering the game, and Fuge drew a foul before making a mid-range shot. Key to Liaoning's defense was forcing Zhejiang into continuous misses, and by the last minute and a half of the first quarter, they had narrowed the gap to 2 points. Jones made a putback, and Weis countered, ending the first quarter with Zhejiang leading Liaoning 20-18.
In the second quarter, Weis scored 7 points in 3 minutes to help Liaoning take the lead. Weis contributed 9 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist in the quarter, while Weber added 8 points and 5 rebounds. These two players once helped Liaoning extend their lead to 12 points. On the offensive side for Zhejiang, it was all about Yuek, who scored 23 points in 10 minutes with 9 shots made out of 7 attempts, 6 out of 7 three-pointers, and 3 out of 3 free throws. Zhejiang scored 27 points in the quarter, with Yuek accounting for 23 of them, as he single-handedly challenged the entire Liaoning team. At halftime, Zhejiang trailed Liaoning 47-49.
After switching sides, Zhejiang's offense collapsed, scoring only 5 points in the first 5 minutes of the third quarter while Liaoning extended their lead to 8 points. Fortunately, Cheng Shaipeng hit a three-pointer, followed by Jones also making one to reduce the deficit to 2 points, prompting Yang Ming to call a timeout. Liaoning then experienced a scoring drought, but Jones hit another three-pointer from the top of the arc. How could he not have a chance to play in the NBA with such skills? In the quarter, Jones scored 11 points with 2 rebounds and 2 assists, while Cheng Shaipeng added 8 points. Zhejiang erupted in the last 2 minutes, finishing the third quarter with a 78-70 lead over Liaoning.
In the fourth quarter, Zhejiang extended their lead to 10 points, but Yuek was called for traveling by Weis, allowing Liaoning to close the gap to 4 points with a 6-0 run, prompting Zhejiang to call a timeout. Yuek then hit a three-pointer, while Fuge made both free throws to stabilize the situation. Fuge blocked Cheng Shaipeng, but missed two shots, and Yuek's long-range three-pointer also missed. Yu Jiahao made a putback and was fouled, converting both free throws, while Cheng Shaipeng made a layup to extend the lead to 11 points. Fuge hit a crucial three-pointer, but Zhao Jiwei made a fatal turnover, followed by Cheng Shaipeng's three-pointer. Wang Yibo made a turnover, and Fuge made a layup, while Liu Zeyi's 2+0 play sealed the victory.
Starting Lineups
Liaoning: Fuge, Zhao Jiwei, Patton, Li Xiaoxu, and Yu Zechen;
Zhejiang: Jones, Yuek, Yu Jiahao, Lu Wenbo, and Wang Yibo.
Written by Yan Xiaobai