On January 20th, the CBA regular season saw Xinjiang defeat Qingdao 103-83 at home, securing a three-game winning streak. Xinjiang had six players score in double figures, dominating the game and ultimately achieving a 20-point victory.
In this match, Peterson scored 23 points with 7 rebounds and 4 assists, Lawson had 16 points, 16 rebounds, and 9 assists, Li Yanze contributed 11 points, and from the bench, Abudu Salamu scored 15 points, Zhao Rui had 10 points, and Yili Fula scored 11 points, with each player making significant contributions. With Xinjiang's victory over Qingdao, they also surpassed their opponents in the rankings to reach sixth place in the league.
With the near-simultaneous return of Abudu and Zhao Rui, Xinjiang, who had been plagued by injuries throughout the season, finally welcomed a more complete lineup. Indeed, although they are still missing two Class C players, Wu Guanxi and Zhu Xuhang, after a season of flu and injuries, it has been quite challenging to assemble the current lineup.
Peterson, known as the "third foreign aid" for the team, has been playing increasingly reasonably in recent games following the return of Abudu and Zhao Rui. Although he only had four assists in this game, those who watched the game could see that he played very selflessly on the court. Previously, he would often take direct shots, but now he passes the ball to teammates with better opportunities. In the previous game against Guangzhou, Peterson even recorded 13 points, 6 rebounds, and 11 assists, which one might mistake for He Gens' stats if not for the name.
In a live broadcast by Roger, the translator for the Xinjiang team, he revealed that although Peterson was almost the first foreign aid to be confirmed, the team initially considered him as the third foreign aid. Throughout the season, he has played in 32 games but only started in five, mostly leading the second lineup to score points. His technical characteristics indeed suit scoring within the second lineup, as Xinjiang's previous games were mostly led by He Gens and Lawson, who brought young players onto the court for six or seven minutes before Peterson came on to launch a fierce offensive.
Peterson is a player who can be both loved and hated. He can make incredible three-pointers and score 48 points in 25 minutes when his hand feels hot, but when he gets carried away, he will also attempt a large number of unreasonable long-range shots. This is simply his style of play, which he has maintained over the past two years with Tongxi and Jilin.
With the return of the two top-paid players, Peterson seems to be intentionally reducing his wild shots and playing more reasonably, suppressing his offensive desires. This contrasts with He Gens, whose efficiency has been decreasing recently after playing more than thirty games, as opponents have begun to understand his pass-first approach and often block his passing lines without worrying about He Gens' offense. When Peterson starts passing, Xinjiang's offense opens up new possibilities.