China's Liu Xiaoyu(R) plays in the game against the Memphis Tigers on Sunday in Huizhou, south China's Guangdong province, June 1, 2008. Chinese national men's basketball team won a 91-68 victory over the Memphis Tigers. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei)
Zhang Qingpeng and Zhang Kai combined 39 points to lead the Chinese national men's basketball team to a 91-68 victory over the Memphis Tigers on Sunday in Huizhou, Guangdong province.
Zhang, who played for the first time in the three series games, scored 13 of his 20 points in the first half and Zhang Kai added 19, including 13 in the first half.
China's Ding Jinhui(L1) plays in the game against the Memphis Tigers on Sunday in Huizhou, south China's Guangdong province, June 1, 2008. Chinese national men's basketball team won a 91-68 victory over the Memphis Tigers. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei)
It was the third win for China, who played without NBA players Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian and former NBA player Wang Zhizhi because of their injuries, in three friendly games against the Tigers, a team of university of Memphis from the United States.
Unlike the two previous games, China took control early and led as many as 23 points with 4:10 minutes remaining in the second quarter.
The Tigers, who also played without their key players, Derrick Rose, Chris Douglas-Roberts and Joey Dorsey for the NBA draft, fought back with a 10-2 run early in the second half to trim the lead to 45-57. But Zhang Kai's layup and Li Nan's three-pointers extended the advantage to 17 points, and Memphis never got closer than 15 points.
China's Liu Wei plays in the game against the Memphis Tigers?on Sunday in Huizhou, south China's Guangdong province, June 1, 2008. Chinese national men's basketball team?won a 91-68 victory over the Memphis Tigers. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei)
China also built a 91-66 lead before clinching the victory.
"I am satisfied with my players' performances in those three games," said China's head coach Jonas Kaziauskas.
Memphis has only one player to score double figure as center Shawn Taggart contributed 13 points.
"We really want to win the games," said John Calipari, head coach of the Memphis Tigers. "But we have three key players at home for the NBA draft, so I had to give all those youngsters an equal opportunity to play. Moreover, we played here for the people who suffered the earthquake in China for helping them prepare for the Olympic Games.
"The Chinese team is good and I also hope they are better in the Olympics," the coach added.
China beat Memphis 87-80 on Wednesday and 92-88 on Friday.
China's Sun Yue(L) plays in the game against the Memphis Tigers?on Sunday in Huizhou, south China's Guangdong province, June 1, 2008. Chinese national men's basketball team?won a 91-68 victory over the Memphis Tigers. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei)
(Xinhua News Agencies June 2, 2008)
