The Shanghai Sharks secured their fourth consecutive victory in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) by defeating the Shanxi Loongs with a score of 100-93 in a thrilling match held in Shanghai Municipality on Wednesday.
Five players from the Sharks contributed double-digit points, with Li Tianrong and Wang Zhelin leading the charge, each scoring 18 points. Li showcased his shooting prowess by sinking four three-pointers out of seven attempts, while Wang delivered a double-double that included 10 rebounds before an apparent injury sidelined him towards the end of the game.
The game kicked off with Li making two of his three-pointers in the first quarter, helping Shanghai build a 29-26 lead. Shanxi rallied in the second period with Brandon Goodwin and Hamidou Diallo leading the charge. Goodwin even set up Zhang Ning for a crucial three-pointer in the final seconds of the quarter, giving the Loongs a narrow one-point lead of 53-52 at halftime.
In the third quarter, Wang stepped up his game for the Sharks, making six of his seven shots in the paint and hitting a rare three-pointer to add 13 points in the period. By the end of the third quarter, Shanghai held a comfortable 81-74 advantage.
Early in the fourth quarter, Diallo made an impressive block on Wang during a transition play, but inadvertently fell on the two-time league Most Valuable Player's knees, forcing the veteran center to limply return to the locker room. Despite Wang's exit, Li Tianrong and Li Hongquan kept the momentum for Shanghai, hitting shots from downtown and extending the lead to 97-82.
With Yuan Shuai and Zhang missing multiple outside shots, second-placed Shanxi Loongs suffered their ninth loss of the regular season. Meanwhile, Shanghai Sharks, with 20 wins out of their last 22 games including 12 consecutive home victories, remain in 10th place in the CBA standings.
Reference(s):
Shanghai Sharks defeat Shanxi Loongs for fourth straight win in CBA
cgtn.com
