The Shanxi Loongs triumphed over the Beijing Ducks with a 106-101 victory in Taiyuan on Monday, halting the Ducks’ impressive six-game winning streak.
The home team ignited the first quarter with a 7-0 run, but Beijing swiftly countered with an 11-0 surge of their own. Shanxi struggled offensively when their starters rested, but Richard Solomon and Zhang Cairen kept the pressure on by sinking key shots from beyond the arc. Beijing held a 28-21 lead after the first quarter.
Brandon Goodwin and Ibrahima Faye energized Shanxi in the second quarter, aggressively attacking Beijing’s defense. It took just three minutes for Shanxi to tie the game at 33. Beijing relied on the prowess of Solomon and Zhou Qi to maintain their edge. The game grew increasingly physical, with both teams committing numerous fouls to prevent easy scores. Beijing edged ahead to lead 57-56 at halftime.
The intensity persisted into the third quarter as players frequently visited the free-throw line. Beijing launched an 11-0 run with five minutes left, but Hamidou Diallo kept Shanxi close by drawing fouls and converting four free throws. The quarter concluded with Shanxi trailing narrowly at 85-82.
In the final quarter, Diallo and Liu Chuanxing proved instrumental for Shanxi, causing havoc inside the paint. Liu’s jumper at the 7:22 mark ended a two-minute scoring drought and put Shanxi ahead 89-87. The lead seesawed as neither team could pull away. With less than two minutes remaining, Zhou Qi’s hook shot tied the game at 97. In the crucial moments, Zhang Ning was fouled repeatedly and coolly sank all six of his free throws. Meanwhile, Beijing’s Zeng Fanbo and Eugene German missed pivotal three-point attempts, sealing the Ducks’ defeat and ending their winning streak on the road.
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Zhang Ning's key free throws end Beijing's winning streak for Shanxi
cgtn.com
