Yi Jianlian scored a mammoth 32 points in the first half alone, helping the Guangdong Southeast Tigers ease past the Fujian Sturgeons 143-126 in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) 2019-20 season here on Sunday.

Yi also grabbed five rebounds, making him the player with the largest total number of rebounds in the history of the CBA's regular season.

Guangdong dominated the first half by establishing an 80-56 lead thanks to Yi's prowess in attack, contributing 25 points in the first quarter.

The second half became the stage for young players as Yi watched from the bench. Guangdong still kept their lead around 25 points, resisting Fujian's attempt to make a breakthrough. However, the last minutes in the third quarter saw a subtle change when Xu Mingzhi converted a three-pointer to narrow the gap below twenty.

The final quarter featured back-and-forth attack from both sides. Xu notched two continuous three-pointers, helping his team cut the deficit to 14 points. Fujian strived to catch up, but could not change the final result and finally gave into their fate in the last seconds before the whistle.

Xu also had a team-high 29 points for Fujian, with three rebounds and five assists.

Guangdong will face the Tianjin Pioneers on Monday, while Fujian will play the Shenzhen Aviators on Tuesday.