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E-mail Xinhua, January 21, 2025
The Zhejiang Lions' winning streak came to 10 games after a nail-biting victory over the Beijing Ducks 94-91, while the Shanghai Sharks thrashed the Sichuan Blue Whales 129-87 to snap a two-game skid in the 33rd round of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) League on Monday.
The Ducks welcomed the return of forward Zeng Fanbo and guard Lei Meng, which allowed them to keep up with the Lions, who featured all-stars Sun Minghui and Hu Jinqiu. After three quarters, the game was tied at 68-68.
The decisive moments came in the final quarter. Josh Carlton drove to the basket, drew a foul, and converted his free throws, while Hu hit a mid-range shot over Zeng. However, Hu's subsequent attempt missed, and Carlton grabbed the offensive rebound for a putback. Zeng then sank a crucial 3-pointer to stop the bleeding. Despite a strong paint response from Hu, the game remained tight until the final moments.
In the dying seconds, Beijing made a critical turnover on an inbounds play, allowing Sun to go to the free-throw line, where he made both shots. Fang Shuo missed two consecutive three-pointers, giving the Ducks no chance for a comeback.
Center Zhou Qi led Beijing's scoreboard with 15 points, and Zeng added 13 points and four assists. Hu clinched a game-high 27 points for the Lions, and Sun added 16 points and eight assists.
In Monday's another action, Li Hongquan came off the bench to nail down five 3-pointers, taking a team-high 26 points to help the Sharks whitewash Sichuan. Li Tianrong and Wang Zhelin scored 12 points apiece for Shanghai, and for Sichuan, Marcus Georges-Hunt played 45 minutes to take 34 points, six rebounds and eight assists.
Also on Monday, the Jilin Northeast Tigers defeated the Fujian Sturgeons 103-92, the Shanxi Loongs beat the Guangzhou Loong Lions 124-116, the Guangdong Southern Tigers sailed past the Nanjing Monkey Kings 112-94, and the Xinjiang Flying Tigers claimed victory over the Qingdao Eagles 103-83.
On Sunday, Jarred Sullinger took a double-double of 21 points and 18 rebounds to help the Beijing Royal Fighters beat the Shenzhen Aviators 112-102, the Shandong Heroes cruised past the Jiangsu Dragons 102-86, and the Tianjin Pioneers edged the Ningbo Rockets 120-115.
