NBL Round 17 (Regular Season): Hefei edge Jiangxi by three points

Here is the last round review presented by Job Market.

Fifth-ranked Jiangxi (11-8) made lots of trouble for second ranked Hefei (15-4) on Saturday. Hefei managed to secure only three-point victory 92-89. However their fans expected easier game. Hefei made 20-of-24 free shots (83.3 percent) during the game. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 22 assists. The best player for the winners was Greek forward Dimitrios Agravanis (208-1994) who scored 21 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. American forward Brandon McCoy (213-1998, college: UNLV, agency: MSG) chipped in 20 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists. American guard Niven Glover (196-2000) produced 41 points (!!!), 6 rebounds and 4 assists for the guests. Both coaches used bench players in such tough game. Hefei have an impressive series of six victories in a row. They maintain second place with 15-4 record behind leader HK JinNiu. Jiangxi at the other side keeps the fifth position with eight games lost. Hefei are looking forward to face league's leader HK JinNiu in Hong Kong in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Jiangxi will play on the road against Anhui W. (#9) and is hoping to prove to their supporters that this time they can win.
Leader HK JinNiu delivered the sixteenth victory. This time they beat 8th ranked Jiangsu (10-9) 103-90 in Yannan. American guard Mason Jones (193-1998, college: Arkansas) orchestrated the victory with a double-double by scoring 26 points, 6 rebounds and 10 assists. EJ Anosike contributed with 31 points and 8 rebounds (on 11-of-13 shooting from the field) for the winners. American point guard Quade Green (183-1998, college: Washington) answered with 36 points (!!!) (was perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line) for Jiangsu. Both coaches tested many bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. HK JinNiu maintains first place with 16-3 record. Jiangsu at the other side dropped to the seventh position with nine games lost. They share it with Shandong. HK JinNiu will play against league's second-placed Hefei at home in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Jiangsu will play against Hubei (#13) and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Bottom-ranked Zhangjiakou (0-19) tried to put together a comeback for its first victory of the season, but they fell short in the 112-55 loss to third ranked Hunan (12-7) in Changsha on Sunday evening. Ramon Galloway stepped up with a double-double by scoring 24 points and 10 assists for the winners. Kenneth Miller responded with 20 points and 4 assists. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Hunan maintains third place with 12-7 record having four points less than leader HK JinNiu. Zhangjiakou lost their nineteenth game in a row. They still close the standings. Hunan will meet Hebei (#6) on the road in the next round. Zhangjiakou will play against Guizhou (#11) and hopes to get finally their first victory.

Other games of round 17 were quite predictable and ended without any surprises. Here they are:
Hebei was defeated by Shandong in a road game 99-94. Hangzhou was beaten by Anhui W. at home 101-107. Jiaozuo won against Guizhou on the opponent's court 101-94. Hubei unfortunately lost to Shanghai in a home game 80-86.
The best stats of 17th round was 21 points and 18 rebounds by Shemar Wilson of Shanghai.



Hefei - Jiangxi 92-89

Fifth-ranked Jiangxi (11-8) made lots of trouble for second ranked Hefei (15-4) on Saturday. Hefei managed to secure only three-point victory 92-89. However their fans expected easier game. Hefei made 20-of-24 free shots (83.3 percent) during the game. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 22 assists. The best player for the winners was Greek forward Dimitrios Agravanis (208-1994) who scored 21 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. American forward Brandon McCoy (213-1998, college: UNLV, agency: MSG) chipped in 20 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists. Four Hefei players scored in double figures. American guard Niven Glover (196-2000) produced 41 points (!!!), 6 rebounds and 4 assists and the other American import guard Michael Bryson (193-1994, college: UCSB) added 20 points respectively for the guests. Both coaches used bench players in such tough game. Hefei have an impressive series of six victories in a row. They maintain second place with 15-4 record behind leader HK JinNiu. Jiangxi at the other side keeps the fifth position with eight games lost. Hefei are looking forward to face league's leader HK JinNiu in Hong Kong in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Jiangxi will play on the road against Anhui W. (#9) and is hoping to prove to their supporters that this time they can win.
Top scorers:
Jiangxi: G.Niven 41+6reb+4ast, B.Michael 20+3reb+2ast, K.Mohamed 14+3reb+2ast, W.Xiangbin 4+2reb, L.Yantao 3+5reb, W.Yixiong 2+5reb+1ast
Hefei: D.Agravanis 21+8reb+4ast, B.McCoy 20+9reb+4ast, Z.Chen 13+1reb+5ast, J.Walker 10+1reb+2ast, X.Zhang 8+3ast, Y.Chen 7

Shandong - Hebei 99-94

There was a minor upset when their close opponent Hebei (10-8) was defeated on the road by seventh ranked Shandong (10-9) 99-94 on Saturday. Shandong outrebounded Hebei 47-36 including a 36-24 advantage in defensive rebounds. Guard Jiuzhang Chen (193-2001) stepped up and scored 25 points and 7 rebounds for the winners and American-Bulgarian guard Brandon Young (193-1991, college: DePaul, agency: BIG) chipped in 27 points. Five Shandong players scored in double figures. American point guard Jaylen Adams (188-1996, college: St.Bonaventure) responded with 44 points (!!!) and 6 rebounds and guard Jinlang Weng (196-2004) scored 14 points and 5 rebounds. Both coaches allowed to play bench players in such tough game. Shandong maintains seventh place with 10-9 record, which they share with Jiangsu. Loser Hebei dropped to the sixth position with eight games lost. Shandong will meet Hangzhou (#12) on the road in the next round which should be theoretically an easy game. Hebei will play against Hunan (#3) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Hebei: A.Jaylen 44+6reb+2ast, W.Jinlang 14+5reb+1ast, K.Vladyslav 9+10reb, H.Xingyu 8+3reb, D.Jiantao 7+1reb+1ast, W.Ziqi 4+2reb+3ast
Shandong: B.Young 27+3reb+2ast, J.Chen 25+7reb+2ast, H.French 15+11reb+5ast, M.Holyfield 14+11reb, Y.Xi 10+5reb+2ast, J.Guo 4+2reb+1ast

Hangzhou - Anhui W. 101-107

Everything could happen at the game between two tied teams. Both eleventh ranked Anhui W. and 13th ranked Hangzhou had identical 7-11 record. But Hangzhou was not able to use a home court advantage and lost to the opponent from Anhui 107-101 on Saturday night. Anhui W. made 20-of-26 free shots (76.9 percent) during the game. They shot the lights out from three sinking 17 long-distance shots on high 58.6 percentage. American point guard Jesse Jones (183, college: Bridgeport) stepped up and scored 47 points (!!!), 6 rebounds and 4 assists for the winners and his fellow American import center Noah Dickerson (207-1997, college: Washington) chipped in 14 points and 14 rebounds. American-Puerto Rican point guard Jordan Howard (180-1996, college: Cent Arkansas) responded with 25 points and American center Trevor Thompson (210-1994, college: Ohio St., agency: Octagon Europe) scored 16 points and 7 rebounds. Four Anhui W. and five Hangzhou players scored in double figures. Both coaches allowed to play bench players saving starting five for next games. Anhui W. (8-11) moved-up to ninth place, which they share with Jiaozuo. Loser Hangzhou dropped to the eleventh position with 12 games lost. They share it with Hubei and Guizhou. Anhui W. will meet at home higher ranked Jiangxi (#5) in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Hangzhou will play against Shandong (#7) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Hangzhou: H.Jordan 25+3reb+2ast, M.Cameron 17+4reb+1ast, T.Trevor 16+7reb+3ast, Z.Rongzhen 11+6reb, H.Xu 11+4reb+1ast, G.Yuxiang 8+6reb+1ast
Anhui W.: J.Jones 47+6reb+4ast, J.Lin 18+1reb+2ast, Y.Man 15+1reb, N.Dickerson 14+14reb+2ast, W.Yang 7+2reb+1ast, Z.Yuan 4+2reb+1ast

Jiangsu - HK JinNiu 90-103

Leader HK JinNiu delivered the sixteenth victory. This time they beat 8th ranked Jiangsu (10-9) 103-90 in Yannan. HK JinNiu made 21-of-26 charity shots (80.8 percent) during the game. American guard Mason Jones (193-1998, college: Arkansas) orchestrated the victory with a double-double by scoring 26 points, 6 rebounds and 10 assists. Nigerian-American swingman EJ Anosike (199-1998, college: CS Fullerton) contributed with 31 points and 8 rebounds (on 11-of-13 shooting from the field) for the winners. American point guard Quade Green (183-1998, college: Washington) answered with 36 points (!!!) (was perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line) and the other American import center Henry Sims (208-1990, college: Georgetown) added 20 points and 7 rebounds (perfect from the field making all eight shots !!!) in the effort for Jiangsu. Four Jiangsu players scored in double figures. Both coaches tested many bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. HK JinNiu maintains first place with 16-3 record. Jiangsu at the other side dropped to the seventh position with nine games lost. They share it with Shandong. HK JinNiu will play against league's second-placed Hefei at home in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Jiangsu will play against Hubei (#13) and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Top scorers:
Jiangsu: G.Quade 36+1reb+2ast, S.Henry 20+7reb+2ast, S.Jianhua 14+2reb, U.Robert 11+8reb+1ast, Y.Xiang 6+2reb+2ast, H.Yan 3+6reb+3ast
HK JinNiu: E.Anosike 31+8reb, M.Jones 26+6reb+10ast, J.Dong 9+4reb+1ast, C.Tang 9, O.Balvin 6+5reb+1ast, I.Ertel 5+2reb+3ast

Guizhou - Jiaozuo 94-101

Everything could happen at the game between two tied teams. Both ninth ranked Jiaozuo and 12th ranked Guizhou had identical 7-11 record. But Guizhou was not able to use a home court advantage and was defeated by the opponent from Jiaozuo 101-94 on Sunday night. American-Thailand guard Tra Holder (185-1995, college: Arizona St.) stepped up and scored 27 points and 6 assists for the winners and guard Ruibo Liang (188-2003) chipped in 17 points. Four Jiaozuo players scored in double figures. American swingman Scottie Lindsey (196-1996, college: Northwestern) responded with 32 points and 5 rebounds (on 11-of-13 shooting from the field) and American-Puerto Rican Kyle Vinales (188-1992, college: CCSU) scored 19 points, 5 rebounds and 8 assists. Both coaches allowed to play bench players saving starting five for next games. Jiaozuo maintains ninth place with 8-11 record, which they share with Anhui W. Loser Guizhou dropped to the eleventh position with 12 games lost. They share it with Hubei and Hangzhou. Jiaozuo will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Guizhou will play against Zhangjiakou (#14) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Guizhou: L.Scottie 32+5reb, V.Kyle 19+5reb+8ast, M.Sterling 16+5reb, Z.Baole 7+1reb+1ast, L.Zhanfan 6+4reb+3ast, Z.Jiarui 6+1reb
Jiaozuo: T.Holder 27+4reb+6ast, R.Liang 17+3reb+3ast, S.Weems 14+2reb+2ast, B.Feng 12+2reb+3ast, O.Akonobi 9+4reb, H.Chang 8+1reb

Hunan - Zhangjiakou 112-55

Bottom-ranked Zhangjiakou (0-19) tried to put together a comeback for its first victory of the season, but they fell short in the 112-55 loss to third ranked Hunan (12-7) in Changsha on Sunday evening. They dominated down low during the game scoring 58 of its points in the paint compared to Zhangjiakou's 24. They outrebounded Zhangjiakou 45-32 including a 39-20 advantage in defensive rebounds. Hunan looked well-organized offensively handing out 26 assists comparing to just 11 passes made by Zhangjiakou's players. American-Iraqi guard Ramon Galloway (190-1991, college: La Salle) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 24 points and 10 assists for the winners and Yuheng Tian (194-1996) chipped in 25 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists (on 10-of-13 shooting from the field). Five Hunan players scored in double figures. American guard Kenneth Miller (186-1995, college: OVU) responded with 20 points and 4 assists and DR Congolese center Viny Okouo (214-1997) scored 4 points and 13 rebounds. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Hunan maintains third place with 12-7 record having four points less than leader HK JinNiu. Zhangjiakou lost their nineteenth game in a row. They still close the standings. Hunan will meet Hebei (#6) on the road in the next round. Zhangjiakou will play against Guizhou (#11) and hopes to get finally their first victory.
Top scorers:
Zhangjiakou: M.Kenneth 20+3reb+4ast, S.Yudi 13+1reb, L.Yutian 8+3reb, O.Viny 4+13reb+2ast, S.Jilong 3+1reb+1ast, C.Jiahui 3+4reb+1ast
Hunan: Y.Tian 25+6reb+4ast, R.Galloway 24+4reb+10ast, J.Liu 15+2ast, S.Zimmerman 14+13reb+5ast, M.Watkins 10+7reb, Y.Deng 10+1reb+1ast

Hubei - Shanghai 80-86

Very predictable result when fifth ranked Shanghai (11-7) beat on the road 10th ranked Hubei (7-12) 86-80 on Sunday. Shanghai outrebounded Hubei 53-34 including 41 on the defensive glass. The game was dominated by American players. Forward Shemar Wilson (206-2001, college: UT Arlington) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 21 points and 18 rebounds for the winners and guard Marcus LoVett Jr. (183-1996, college: St.John's, agency: Octagon Europe) chipped in 24 points and 5 assists. Shanghai's coach used entire bench and allowed the starting five to rest. Center Baylee Steele (213-1997, college: Duquesne, agency: Octagon Europe) responded with a double-double by scoring 26 points and 12 rebounds and forward Eric Paschall (198-1996, college: Villanova) scored 27 points and 9 rebounds. The victory was the third consecutive win for Shanghai. They moved-up to fourth place. Hubei lost their sixth game in a row. They dropped to the eleventh position with 12 games lost. They share it with Guizhou and Hangzhou. Shanghai will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Hubei will play against Jiangsu (#8) in Yannan and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Hubei: P.Eric 27+9reb, S.Baylee 26+12reb+1ast, W.Xiaoming 8+2reb+1ast, L.Wantong 8+2reb, W.Boyang 7+4reb+2ast, G.Xiaopeng 3+1reb
Shanghai: J.LoVett 24+3reb+5ast, S.Wilson 21+18reb+1ast, W.Douglas 15+7reb+3ast, R.Tchewa 7+5reb, J.Tang 6+2ast, Y.Wang 5+4reb