The Shanghai Sharks continued their remarkable winning streak by defeating the Guangzhou Loong Lions 112-81 at home on Friday, clinching their 15th consecutive victory in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA).
Shanghai took an early 11-5 lead when Li Tianrong assisted Li Hongquan for a layup. However, Guangzhou rallied and moved ahead by five points after a three-pointer from Yuan Zhaoyao.
The game remained tight until Kenneth Lofton Jr. converted a second-chance layup to tie the score at 63-63. Lofton then connected with Wang Zhelin, whose layup put the Sharks ahead by two points later in the second quarter.
Li Tianrong extended Shanghai’s lead by drilling a corner three-pointer, pushing the Sharks’ advantage to 23 points. Eric Bledsoe assisted Li for another three, contributing to his career-high 31 points.
Yuan Tangwen’s long-distance three-pointer further increased the home team’s lead to 27 points. The Sharks maintained their momentum to secure a dominant 31-point victory, solidifying their position in 12th place in the standings.
In another exciting matchup, the first-placed Guangsha Lions overpowered the second-placed Shanxi Loongs with a 111-78 win at home. Despite an early surge by Shanxi, led by Brandon Goodwin’s layups that put them ahead by nine points in the second quarter, the Lions fought back.
Barry Brown Jr. sparked Guangsha’s comeback with a long-distance three-pointer, narrowing the deficit. Assisted by Sun Minghui, Brown hit another triple, allowing the hosts to lead 50-41 at halftime.
Brown continued his stellar performance after the break, finishing with a game-high 38 points, including seven three-pointers. Zhao Yanhao’s pass to Josh Carlton for a layup sealed the Lions’ emphatic 33-point victory.
Guangsha’s win marked their sixth consecutive victory and extended their home winning streak to 16 games. Despite the loss, Shanxi remained in second place in the standings.
Reference(s):
CBA: Shanghai claims 15th straight win, Guangsha defeats Shanxi
cgtn.com
