Ducks don't read the script for Marbury's 'homecoming'

Rapturous reception for legend but Royal Fighters drop to derby defeat

Walking onto the court he used to call "home" amid a standing ovation from fans that once roared him on as their team's hero, the memories came flooding back for Stephon Marbury on a night of highly charged and mixed emotions for the former Beijing Ducks star.

Now the head coach of the visiting Beijing Royal Fighters, Marbury's animated instructions from the sidelines in Wukesong Arena could not avert a 87-79 derby loss to the host in the American legend's seventh CBA game in charge of his new side.

However, much like old times, he left the packed 18,000-seat arena with the respect of both sets of fans and players.

"Of course (it's a special game). This is where the dynasty was built," Marbury said after the pre-game practice. "For myself, I shared a lot of memories here. The memories never die. They always stay alive."

The 42-year-old was impeccably dressed for the occasion－suited up in white, the color conventionally reserved for the home team, and donning a pair of red socks, presumably in a nod to Chinese culture.

Soon after the final buzzer, Marbury embraced former teammates who had turned up to pay homage to his trophy-laden time with the Ducks, triggering another round of applause from the stands.

Being the driven winner that he is, Marbury would possibly have swapped all that adulation for a Royal Fighters victory instead.

"We played well on the defensive end but we just couldn't execute well in making shots," said Marbury, whose team will host the Ducks on Nov 26 after a two-game road trip.

"We had an 11-stop streak where we stopped them 11 times, but we couldn't convert to score the buckets. It hurt us.

"It was really a good game for the Beijing fans though. The atmosphere for basketball is so positive. When you have the opportunity for people to witness things like this, this is the juice of the league."

The sold-out derby game saw both teams struggling offensively under intense defensive pressure, with key players such as the Ducks' Asian-American guard Jeremy Lin and the Royal Fighters' former NBA center Jason Thompson stifled by foul troubles.

Boasting a young core nurtured during the Marbury-inspired title runs, the Ducks seized control midway through the fourth quarter with a barrage of 3-pointers to build a double-digit lead which they never relinquished.

American power forward Justin Hamilton led the Ducks with 21 points and 15 rebounds, while Chinese national team forward Zhai Xiaochuan and Lin contributed 20 and 16 points, respectively.

Prolific Royal Fighters scorer Kyle Fogg, who averaged 31.3 points in the first six games, was limited to 19 points on Wednesday while Sun Yue, a former Ducks teammate of Marbury, added 18 points.

The triumph improves the Lin-led Ducks to a 6-1 record this season, tying them with the Xinjiang Flying Tigers and the Guangdong Southern Tigers at the top of the CBA standings.

Ducks fans are hoping Lin, who arrived from the NBA in August, can assume Marbury's mantel as the team's driving force.

However, the 31-year-old Harvard graduate, whose breakout performances for the New York Knicks in 2012 inspired a bout of "Linsanity" in the US, is keen to play down that comparison.

"An ugly game today but it was an very important team win," Lin told media in Mandarin in the locker room after the game.

"I don't want to be anybody else's successor. I just want to be the best self I can be.

"I respect what Marbury has achieved in Beijing and his legacy in the city. I appreciate that he also encouraged me to do my part in helping Chinese basketball grow.

"For the Ducks, our advantage is we play well as a team and we will stick to that to keep building our chemistry and to play better as a whole."

Having contributed 24.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game this season, Lin has earned the trust and respect of the Ducks' Greek head coach Ioannis Christopoulos.

"I always believe that when you build something it takes time and the building stays more resistant when you have a strong foundation," said the former Chinese national team assistant coach.

"Jeremy is a strong core and a strong spirit for our foundation."