BEIJING, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Beijing Ducks overpowered Beijing Royal Fighters 87-79 in the city derby in the seventh round of Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) league here on Wednesday.
Leading by four points heading into the final period, Ducks took control of the game thereafter to build double-figure advantage and held off neighboring opponents through solid performance on the free-throw line.
Justin Hamilton led the charge for the Ducks with 21 points and 15 rebounds. Teammates Zhai Xiaochuan and Jeremy Lin contributed 20 and 16 points respectively.
After the Ducks raced to a 6-0 lead into the contention, Kyle Fogg's three-pointer ended Royal Fighters' scoring drought in three minutes. Zhu Yanxi opened fire beyond the arc to set the score at 21-14 as the first quarter expired.
In a tightly contested matchup, the Royal Fighters rode to a 10-0 run midway through the second period to turn the tides. Fogg earned the visiting side their first lead of the match through a jumper with 1:30 to play, but Lin scored six straight points to establish a 34-30 lead for the Ducks into the halftime.
The Ducks improved their offensive efficiency returning from the locker room as Hamilton and Zhai mainly contributed on the scoreboard, while Fogg kept his team within striking distance with consecutive layups, and a four-point gap still separated the two sides.
Four Royal Fighters players achieved double-digit points, led by Fogg's 19. Sun Yue, a former Ducks player, finished with 18 points. Enditem