NBL Round 24 (Regular Season): Hefei beat Hunan in the most crucial game of the week

The Regular Season in NBL is slowly approaching the end. But there may be still some important changes in the final standings in the last 5 rounds. Here is the last round review presented by Job Market.

An exciting game between Top Four teams was played in Hefei. Second ranked Hefei faced one of their biggest challengers Hunan. Host Hefei (18-4) defeated guests from Changsha (13-9) 89-76. Hefei made 16-of-19 free shots (84.2 percent) during the game. The best player for the winners was Greek forward Dimitrios Agravanis (208-1994, agency: Diamond Sports) who scored 24 points (went 7 for 7 at the free throw line). American forward Brandon McCoy (213-1998, college: UNLV, agency: MSG) chipped in 14 points and 11 rebounds. At the other side the best for losing team was American-Iraqi guard Ramon Galloway (190-1991, college: La Salle) who recorded 20 points and 8 assists. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Hefei have an impressive nine-game winning streak. They maintain second position with 18-4 record behind leader HK JinNiu. Hunan at the other side keeps the third place with nine games lost. They share the position with Shanghai. Hefei will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Hunan will play on the road against Anhui W. and is hoping to prove to their fans that this time they can win.
Leader HK JinNiu delivered the nineteenth victory. This time they beat 12th ranked Hubei (8-14) 99-87 in Hong Kong. It was a good game for Nigerian-American swingman EJ Anosike (199-1998, college: CS Fullerton) who led his team to a victory with 20 points and 7 rebounds. Chenran Sun contributed with 21 points for the winners. American center Baylee Steele (213-1997, college: Duquesne, agency: Octagon Europe) replied with a double-double by scoring 33 points (!!!) and 15 rebounds for Hubei. Both coaches tested many bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. HK JinNiu have a solid three-game winning streak. They maintain first position with 19-3 record. Hubei at the other side keeps the twelfth place with 14 games lost. They share the position with Guizhou. HK JinNiu will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Hubei will play at home against Shandong (#7) and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Bottom-ranked Zhangjiakou (0-22) tried to put together a comeback for its first victory of the season, but they fell short in the 89-75 loss to eleventh ranked Hangzhou (9-13) in Hangzhou on Wednesday evening. Worth to mention a great performance of Cameron McGriff who helped to win the game recording 27 points and 5 rebounds. The best for the losing side was Viny Okouo with 27 points and 8 rebounds. Both coaches allowed to play bench players saving starting five for next games. Hangzhou maintains eleventh position with 9-13 record. Loser Zhangjiakou still closes the standings. Hangzhou will meet at home higher ranked Hebei (#5) in the next round and they do not belong to the favorites in that game. Zhangjiakou will have a break next round.

Rest of the games of round 24 were quite predictable and ended without any surprises. Here they are:
Shandong was defeated by Shanghai in a road game 92-80. Anhui W. beat Hebei at home 112-103. Jiangsu lost to Guizhou on the opponent's court 85-89. Jiangxi unfortunately lost to Jiaozuo in a home game 69-79.
The best stats of 24th round was 22 points and 7 rebounds by Rob Edwards of Hangzhou.



Shanghai - Shandong 92-80

The game between closely ranked teams ended with 6th ranked Shandong's (11-11) road loss to fifth ranked Shanghai (13-9) 80-92 on Tuesday. Shanghai forced 19 Shandong turnovers. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 22 assists. The game was dominated by American players. Worth to mention a great performance of guard Marcus LoVett Jr (183-1996, college: St.John's, agency: Octagon Europe) who helped to win the game recording 27 points, 8 assists and 4 steals and forward Shemar Wilson (206-2001, college: UT Arlington) who added 12 points and 11 rebounds during the contest. Four Shanghai players scored in double figures. The best for the losing side was point guard Loren Jackson (170-1996, college: Akron) with 19 points and 6 rebounds and forward Hasahn French (201-1998, college: St.Louis) scored 12 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Both coaches allowed to play bench players saving starting five for next games. Shanghai moved-up to third place, which they share with Hunan. Loser Shandong keeps the sixth position with 11 games lost. They share it with 3 other teams. Shanghai will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Shandong will play against Hubei (#13) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Shanghai: J.LoVett 27+2reb+8ast, Y.Wang 12+4reb+1ast, S.Wilson 12+11reb, W.Douglas 12+4reb+2ast, F.Guo 10+2reb, A.Ze 8+6reb+3ast
Shandong: J.Loren 19+6reb+2ast, C.Jiuzhang 16+4reb+1ast, F.Hasahn 12+6reb+5ast, S.Wenlong 9+3reb, H.Michael 9+6reb+1ast, Z.Jinyang 8+1reb+2ast

Anhui W. - Hebei 112-103

There was a surprise result when tenth ranked Anhui W. (10-12) defeated at home higher ranked Hebei (12-10) 112-103 on Tuesday. Anhui W. looked well-organized offensively handing out 26 assists. Worth to mention a great performance of American center Noah Dickerson (207-1997, college: Washington) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 34 points (!!!), 23 rebounds and 5 assists and the other American import point guard Jesse Jones (183, college: Bridgeport) who added 31 points, 5 rebounds and 11 assists during the contest. The best for the losing side was American point guard Jaylen Adams (188-1996, college: St.Bonaventure) with 28 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists and Ukrainian center Vladyslav Koreniuk (210-1994, agency: BIG) produced a double-double by scoring 17 points and 12 rebounds (on 7-of-9 shooting from the field). Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Both coaches allowed to play bench players saving starting five for next games. Anhui W. maintains tenth position with 10-12 record. Loser Hebei dropped to the fifth place with ten games lost. Anhui W. will meet at home higher ranked Hunan (#3) in the next round and they do not belong to the favorites in that game. Hebei will play against Hangzhou and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Anhui W.: N.Dickerson 34+23reb+5ast, J.Jones 31+5reb+11ast, Y.Man 17+10reb+1ast, J.Lin 14+3reb+1ast, W.Yang 9+5reb+4ast, Z.Yuan 4+7reb
Hebei: A.Jaylen 28+6reb+7ast, K.Vladyslav 17+12reb+1ast, J.Jiang 16+6reb+1ast, L.Corey 14+3reb+1ast, L.Lipeng 11+1reb, W.Xuan 8+4reb+4ast

HK JinNiu - Hubei 99-87

Leader HK JinNiu delivered the nineteenth victory. This time they beat 12th ranked Hubei (8-14) 99-87 in Hong Kong. HK JinNiu made 16-of-18 charity shots (88.9 percent) during the game. Their players were unselfish on offense dishing 23 assists. It was a good game for Nigerian-American swingman EJ Anosike (199-1998, college: CS Fullerton) who led his team to a victory with 20 points and 7 rebounds. point guard Chenran Sun (182) contributed with 21 points for the winners. American center Baylee Steele (213-1997, college: Duquesne, agency: Octagon Europe) replied with a double-double by scoring 33 points (!!!) and 15 rebounds and his fellow American import point guard Keifer Sykes (183-1993, college: Green Bay) added 21 points and 8 assists in the effort for Hubei. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Both coaches tested many bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. HK JinNiu have a solid three-game winning streak. They maintain first position with 19-3 record. Hubei at the other side keeps the twelfth place with 14 games lost. They share the position with Guizhou. HK JinNiu will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Hubei will play at home against Shandong (#7) and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Top scorers:
HK JinNiu: C.Sun 21+4reb+1ast, E.Anosike 20+7reb+2ast, M.Jones 20+5reb, T.Hou 13+2reb+2ast, I.Ertel 6+1reb+1ast, Y.Lu 5+6ast
Hubei: S.Baylee 33+15reb+3ast, S.Keifer 21+1reb+8ast, W.Xiaoming 12, L.Wantong 12+3reb, P.Eric 3+1ast, G.Xiaopeng 3+1reb+1ast

Hefei - Hunan 89-76

An exciting game between Top Four teams was played in Hefei. Second ranked Hefei faced one of their biggest challengers Hunan. Host Hefei (18-4) defeated guests from Changsha (13-9) 89-76. Hefei made 16-of-19 free shots (84.2 percent) during the game. The best player for the winners was Greek forward Dimitrios Agravanis (208-1994, agency: Diamond Sports) who scored 24 points (went 7 for 7 at the free throw line). American forward Brandon McCoy (213-1998, college: UNLV, agency: MSG) chipped in a double-double by scoring 14 points and 11 rebounds. Four Hefei players scored in double figures. At the other side the best for losing team was American-Iraqi guard Ramon Galloway (190-1991, college: La Salle) who recorded 20 points and 8 assists and Yuheng Tian (194-1996) added 24 points (went 11 for 11 at the free throw line !!!) respectively. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Hefei have an impressive nine-game winning streak. They maintain second position with 18-4 record behind leader HK JinNiu. Hunan at the other side keeps the third place with nine games lost. They share the position with Shanghai. Hefei will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Hunan will play on the road against Anhui W. and is hoping to prove to their fans that this time they can win.
Top scorers:
Hefei: D.Agravanis 24+4reb+1ast, B.McCoy 14+11reb, J.Walker 12+3reb+4ast, Z.Chen 11+1ast, N.Johnson 9+2reb, S.Peng 4+3reb+2ast
Hunan: T.Yuheng 24+2reb+2ast, G.Ramon 20+2reb+8ast, K.Stanton 17+7reb+1ast, Y.Jialong 4+5reb, W.Qingming 4+2reb, Z.Stephen 3+7reb

Guizhou - Jiangsu 89-85

There was an upset when higher ranked Jiangsu (11-11) was defeated on the road by thirteenth ranked Guizhou (8-14) 89-85 on Wednesday. Guizhou made 24-of-26 free shots (92.3 percent) during the game. Worth to mention a great performance of American swingman Scottie Lindsey (196-1996, college: Northwestern) who helped to win the game recording 29 points and 6 rebounds and American-Puerto Rican Kyle Vinales (188-1992, college: CCSU) who added 29 points during the contest. The best for the losing side was American point guard Quade Green (183-1998, college: Washington) with 24 points and 6 rebounds and his fellow American import center Henry Sims (208-1990, college: Georgetown) scored 17 points and 7 rebounds (went 7 for 7 at the free throw line). Four Jiangsu players scored in double figures. Both coaches allowed to play bench players in such tough game. Guizhou moved-up to twelfth place, which they share with Hubei. Loser Jiangsu keeps the sixth position with 11 games lost. They share it with 3 other teams. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.
Top scorers:
Guizhou: S.Lindsey 29+6reb+1ast, K.Vinales 29+3reb+2ast, C.Manigault 12+5reb, S.Lin 6+4reb+2ast, J.Li 5+5reb, Z.Liu 3
Jiangsu: G.Quade 24+6reb+3ast, S.Henry 17+7reb, S.Jianhua 15+5reb+1ast, U.Robert 14+6reb, S.Kendall 7+1reb+3ast, Z.Han 4+3reb

Jiangxi - Jiaozuo 69-79

There was a small surprise when ninth ranked Jiaozuo (11-11) beat on the road 7th ranked Jiangxi (11-11) 79-69 on Wednesday. Jiaozuo made 20-of-24 free shots (83.3 percent) during the game. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Jiaozuo made 7 blocks. Worth to mention a great performance of American-Thailand guard Tra Holder (185-1995, college: Arizona St.) who helped to win the game recording 22 points and 6 assists and Nigerian center Olisa Akonobi (213-2000, college: AAMU) who added 13 points, 18 rebounds and 5 blocks during the contest. Four Jiaozuo players scored in double figures. Jiaozuo's coach used a ten-player rotation saving starting five for next games. The best for the losing side was American guard Mohamed Kone (188-1998, college: Bemidji St.) with a double-double by scoring 15 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists and his fellow American import guard Michael Bryson (193-1994, college: UCSB) scored 15 points and 7 rebounds. Jiaozuo have a solid three-game winning streak. They moved-up to sixth place, which they share with 3 other teams including defeated Jiangxi. Jiangxi lost fifth consecutive game. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.
Top scorers:
Jiaozuo: T.Holder 22+4reb+6ast, T.Kyzlink 14+2reb+1ast, O.Akonobi 13+18reb, H.Chang 12+3reb, R.Liang 7+1reb+4ast, S.Weems 4+1reb
Jiangxi: K.Mohamed 15+10reb+6ast, B.Michael 15+7reb+2ast, W.Congze 11+7reb, W.Yixiong 9+6reb, Y.Yue 8+1reb, L.Yantao 5+4reb+2ast

Hangzhou - Zhangjiakou 89-75

Bottom-ranked Zhangjiakou (0-22) tried to put together a comeback for its first victory of the season, but they fell short in the 89-75 loss to eleventh ranked Hangzhou (9-13) in Hangzhou on Wednesday evening. They made 24-of-30 free shots (80.0 percent) during the game, while Zhangjiakou only scored seven points from the stripe. Worth to mention a great performance of American forward Cameron McGriff (201-1997, college: OK State) who helped to win the game recording 27 points and 5 rebounds and the other American import guard Rob Edwards (196-1997, college: Arizona St.) who added 22 points and 7 rebounds (perfect from the field making all seven shots !!!) during the contest. The best for the losing side was DR Congolese center Viny Okouo (214-1997) with 27 points and 8 rebounds and American forward Chris Martin (195-1994) scored 10 points. Four Zhangjiakou players scored in double figures. Both coaches allowed to play bench players saving starting five for next games. Hangzhou maintains eleventh position with 9-13 record. Loser Zhangjiakou still closes the standings. Hangzhou will meet at home higher ranked Hebei (#5) in the next round and they do not belong to the favorites in that game. Zhangjiakou will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Hangzhou: C.McGriff 27+5reb+2ast, R.Edwards 22+7reb+2ast, T.Thompson 9+10reb+2ast, X.Huang 9+3reb+2ast, R.Zhu 7+4reb, X.Zhang 7+4reb+1ast
Zhangjiakou: O.Viny 27+8reb+1ast, L.Jiamao 10+3reb, M.Chris 10+3reb+2ast, M.Kenneth 10+2reb+1ast, L.Junjie 8+5reb+1ast, S.Yudi 3+2reb