URUMQI, April 4 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) playoffs tipped off with two first-round matchups Friday, as the Xinjiang Flying Tigers held off a late rally to defeat the Nanjing Monkey Kings 118-111 despite losing star guard Zhao Rui to injury early in the final quarter.
The league's No. 5 to No. 12 seeds began their best-of-three battles for four places in the quarterfinals. With Nanjing's lead guard Kendric Davis sidelined, Lin Wei stepped up with a stellar playoff debut, recording 37 points and 11 assists. But Nanjing were outgunned by a deeper Xinjiang squad.
Former NBA player Montrezl Harrell dominated the paint in the second quarter with 16 points, helping the hosts Xinjiang to a 15-point halftime lead.
Though Nanjing clawed back within three late in the fourth, a crucial basket by Xinjiang center Li Yanzhe sealed the win.
Six Xinjiang players scored in double figures, led by Qi Lin with 25 points.
The Qingdao Eagles used a third-quarter surge and a dominant final stretch to beat the Zhejiang Golden Bulls 112-96.
Wang Ruize exploded for 36 points, including back-to-back three-pointers to open the fourth quarter that ignited a decisive 22-2 run. Zhejiang, typically dangerous from beyond the arc, went cold in the second half and couldn't recover.
Xinjiang and Qingdao both take 1-0 lead in their respective series. ■
