The Liaoning Flying Leopards solidified their Chinese Basketball Association playoff positioning with a dominant 115-100 victory over the Beikong Royal Fighters in Beijing on Wednesday. The win keeps Liaoping in fourth place – crucial for securing a first-round playoff bye – while showcasing depth that could prove vital in postseason calculations.
A blistering start saw Liaoning drain multiple three-pointers to build a 29-19 first-quarter advantage. The momentum continued through Dez Wells and Fu Hao's offensive consistency, compounded by Beikong's offensive struggles that included a two-minute scoring drought. By halftime, Zhao Jiwei's triple had stretched the lead to 62-40, with the guard later reaching a career milestone of 5,000 points.
Though Beikong's Zhang Fan and Liao Sanning found late rhythm, defensive lapses allowed Liaoning to extend their lead to 29 points in the fourth quarter. The victory marked Liaoning's 31st win this season, maintaining their edge in the tightly contested playoff race.
In other CBA action, the Qingdao Eagles staged a second-half rally to overcome the Shanghai Sharks 119-107, capitalizing on Kenneth Lofton's ejection. Meanwhile, the Shandong Kirin extended their winning streak to six games with a 116-79 rout of Xinjiang, fueled by suffocating defense that held opponents to 31 combined points in the second half.
