In an intense showdown at the Chinese Basketball Association on Thursday, the visiting Liaoning Flying Leopards narrowly defeated the Guangzhou Loong Lions 98-97, handing the home team their sixth consecutive loss.
The game was a nail-biter until the final buzzer. Guangzhou’s Sun Xingliang set up Tyshaun Crawford to cut the deficit to four points. Shortly after, Wang Lanqin lost possession, allowing Crawford to find Davion Warren, who drove in to put Guangzhou ahead by three. The fourth quarter remained tight as Li Xiangbo’s emphatic dunk pushed Guangzhou ahead 74-71.
William Douglas assisted Li for a corner three-pointer, extending Guangzhou’s lead to six. Dez Wells of Liaoning responded by drilling a three-pointer, contributing to his game-high 31 points. Despite Crawford missing a crucial shot, teammate Jiao Boqiao secured the rebound for a lay-up, and Guangzhou regained a one-point lead. However, two clutch free throws from Han Dejun sealed the victory for the three-time defending champions, Liaoning.
Elsewhere, the Guangsha Lions roared past the Sichuan Blue Wales with a commanding 108-83 victory. In the second quarter, Sun Minghui knocked down a three-pointer to give Guangsha a nine-point lead. Barry Brown then found Zhu Junlong for a lay-up, pushing their advantage to double digits. Brown was on fire from beyond the arc, draining a triple and tallying a game-high 23 points. Guangsha showcased a balanced offense with six players scoring in double figures.
In other action, the Nanjing Monkey Kings triumphed over the Jilin Northeast Tigers 106-85. Nanjing’s Li Wei led the charge with a stellar performance, scoring a game-high 28 points.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
