The Nanjing Monkey Kings went on the road and came away with a 91-81 win over the Sichuan Jinqiang Blue Whales in Chinese Basketball Association action on October 27, 2026, using a decisive second-half surge to turn a tight contest into a comfortable ten-point margin. Sichuan had the home crowd at the Chengdu venue behind them and stayed within reach for long stretches, but the visitors' shot-making from the perimeter and their control of the defensive glass ultimately settled a game that was far closer than the final scoreline suggests.

Match overview

The game followed a familiar pattern for a Sichuan home night: energy early, a scrappy middle, and then a stretch where the offense stalled. Nanjing led by a narrow margin through the opening quarter and protected that cushion into the halftime interval, before opening the floor in the third period with quick ball movement and early offense off live-ball turnovers. The Blue Whales, who leaned heavily on isolation scoring and mid-range pull-ups, struggled to generate the same rhythm once the tempo slowed.

• Final score: Sichuan Jinqiang Blue Whales 81, Nanjing Monkey Kings 91
• Competition: Chinese Basketball Association, 2026-27 regular season
• Venue: Chengdu, Sichuan
• Decisive stretch: Third quarter, when Nanjing pushed a single-digit lead into double figures

Key moments

The turning point arrived midway through the third quarter. With Sichuan trailing by six and hunting a run, a pair of empty possessions — an offensive foul and a contested three that rimmed out — were punished at the other end by back-to-back Nanjing triples in transition. The lead jumped to twelve, and Sichuan spent the rest of the night chasing.

The Blue Whales did not fold. A 9-2 burst early in the fourth, built on aggressive drives and a put-back off the offensive board, trimmed the deficit to five and forced a Nanjing timeout. Out of that break, the Monkey Kings went back to their half-court sets, drew fouls on the interior and knocked down free throws to keep the home side at arm's length.

Tactical story

Nanjing's defensive plan was clear: crowd the paint, dare Sichuan's secondary shooters to beat them from deep, and contest every dribble hand-off. It worked. The Blue Whales generated plenty of attempts but not enough clean ones, and their shot profile skewed toward long two-pointers that produced points slowly.

Offensively, the Monkey Kings played with more patience than they had in earlier road games. Their guards probed the pick-and-roll, kicked out of the help defense, and made the extra pass, which is why the assist column tilted their way. They also won the rebounding battle at the defensive end, limiting second-chance opportunities and forcing Sichuan to work the full 24 seconds.

Standout performers

Nanjing's backcourt dictated the evening. Their import guard carried the scoring load in the second half, attacking the rim when the defense pressed up and pulling into rhythm threes when it sagged. The frontcourt rotation did the quieter work — screening, sealing, and cleaning up the glass — and the bench minutes were efficient enough to keep the starters fresh for the closing stretch.

For Sichuan, the bright spots came from the wing spots and the energy of the second unit. The Blue Whales' leading scorer was productive but had to work for everything, and the team's turnover count in the second half proved costly on a night when possessions were precious.

Table and season impact

It is an important road win for Nanjing, who have been building a reputation as a team that can defend and close out games away from home. For Sichuan, the result is another reminder that home advantage alone will not carry them in a deep CBA field; the Blue Whales need cleaner offense in the third quarter and better shot selection late in the clock to convert these kinds of performances into wins.

The two sides will not have to wait long for a rematch, and the tape from this one gives both coaching staffs plenty to work with — Nanjing will want the same defensive discipline, while Sichuan will focus on pace, spacing, and the turnover problem that undid them.