In an electrifying showdown in Shenyang, northeast China's Liaoning Province, the Liaoning Flying Leopards soared to a thrilling 117-114 victory over the Shanghai Sharks on Tuesday night, snapping the Sharks' impressive 16-game winning streak in the CBA! 🦁🦈
From the tip-off, the home crowd was buzzing as Kyle Fogg and Li Xiaoxu lit up the court, sinking three consecutive three-pointers! 🎯 Talk about starting with a bang! Liaoning dashed ahead with an 11-0 run, leading 17-5 just five minutes into the game. The Sharks tried to bite back with Wang Zhelin and Eric Bledsoe hustling to close the gap, but a series of turnovers left them trailing 35-25 at the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter saw big man Han Dejun making waves 🌊 in the paint for Liaoning, drawing fouls and extending their lead to 15 points. But the Sharks weren't sinking yet! 🦈 Li Tianrong and Liu Cheng nailed clutch shots from downtown, keeping Shanghai within reach. Just before halftime, Bledsoe snatched the ball from Zhao Jiwei and beat the buzzer with a slick layup, trimming the deficit to 60-53. Game on! 🔥
After the break, the Sharks regrouped. With more players hitting shots from beyond the arc, Shanghai started chipping away. Improved spacing gave Bledsoe the lanes he needed to drive and dish. When Bledsoe found D.J. Wilson for a three-pointer, the visitors took the lead 89-88! 😱 But Fogg wasn't having it, dropping a jumper to put Liaoning back up 90-89 heading into the final quarter.
The fourth quarter was an absolute nail-biter! 😬 Bledsoe continued to carry the Sharks, but turnovers haunted them again. Liaoning capitalized, pushing their lead to 101-96. Midway through, drama struck as Bledsoe was ejected after a technical foul for flopping! 🚩 But the Sharks fought on, with Li Hongquan's sharp shooting keeping them afloat. After Wang Zhelin completed a three-point play, Shanghai edged ahead 114-112 with less than two minutes left.
Clutch time called for heroes, and Fogg answered! He knocked down back-to-back jumpers, swinging the lead back to Liaoning 116-114. The Sharks called timeout, but on the next possession, Li Xiaoxu came up HUGE with a game-saving block on Li Tianrong's layup attempt! 🖐️⛔ With seconds ticking away, Han Dejun hit one of two free throws, and a desperate three-pointer from Li Hongquan missed the mark at the buzzer. Victory for the Flying Leopards! 🎉🏆
In another exciting matchup, the Xinjiang Flying Tigers roared past the Jiangsu Dragons with a 92-82 win on the road. Xinjiang's Zhao Rui returned from suspension, contributing 20 points, four rebounds, and four assists to help his team avoid a third straight loss. 💪🐯
What a night of basketball action in the CBA! Can't wait to see what happens next! 🏀✨
Reference(s):
Li Xiaoxu's block helps Liaoning end Shanghai's 16-game winning streak
cgtn.com
