Ducks triumph in Beijing derby, Shanxi rout Jilin

BEIJING - Beijing Ducks staved off Beijing Royal Fighters 87-79, while Jamaal Franklin registered a routine triple-double in Shanxi Loongs's 101-71 rout of Jilin Northeast Tigers in the seventh round of Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) league on Wednesday.

Leading by four points heading into the final period, the 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. Zhai Xiaochuan and Jeremy Lin contributed 20 and 16 points respectively.

Zhu Yanxi opened fire beyond the arc to set the score at 21-14 as the first quarter expired. The Royal Fighters rode on a 10-0 run midway through the second period to turn the tides. After Fogg earned the visiting side their first lead of the match, Jeremy Lin scored six straight points to establish a 34-30 lead for the Ducks into the halftime.

The Ducks improved their offensive efficiency back 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.

Coached by Stephon Marbury, who helped the Ducks win three CBA titles in career, the Royal Fighters failed to mount a further comeback in the last 12 minutes.

"It was very good for the fans of Beijing. They played very well in the fourth quarter, and we didn't execute what we were supposed to execute," admitted Marbury.

Fogg scored a team-high 19 points to lead four Royal Fighters players in double digits.

It was Franklin's fourth triple-double of the season. He all achieved the feat in Shanxi's last three victories.