The Shanxi Loongs delivered a spectacular performance on Tuesday, defeating the Shenzhen Leopards 132-127 in an intense overtime battle held in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province. This marks Shanxi's 17th win of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) regular season.
Despite facing the challenge of playing without suspended American guard Brandon Goodwin, Shanxi showcased their resilience. The game started tightly with both teams tied at 16-16 in the first quarter. Shenzhen took an early lead with a 13-2 run, pushing the score to 29-18. However, Shanxi quickly responded with an 8-0 rally, narrowing the gap to 29-26.
Shenzhen's Zhou Peng was on fire in the second quarter, sinking all four of his three-point attempts. Nevertheless, Shanxi's offensive surge, highlighted by five three-pointers, kept the competition fierce. Key players Hamidou Diallo, Zhang Ning, and newly signed American guard Walt Lemon Jr. each scored in double digits, helping Shanxi to a halftime lead of 60-58.
The third quarter saw both teams exchanging leads, but Zhou Peng's injury with five minutes left posed a significant challenge for Shenzhen. Even so, his teammates managed to outscore Shanxi 17-10, securing a 91-85 lead going into the final quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Zhou made a crucial return, drawing a shooting foul and contributing to Shenzhen's efforts. However, Diallo stepped up, orchestrating Shanxi's offense alongside Zhang Ning, who hit two consecutive shots to tie the game at 119-119 and send it into overtime.
Overtime remained fiercely contested. Diallo fouled out with Shanxi leading 130-125, but Lu Pengyu of Shenzhen narrowed the gap to three points at 130-127. Zhou missed a game-tying three-pointer in the final moments, forcing Shenzhen to foul Jia Mingru. Jia's successful free throws sealed the victory for Shanxi.
In other CBA action, the Xinjiang Flying Tigers extended their winning streak to four games by defeating the Beikong Royal Fighters 100-93 on the road.
Reference(s):
Shanxi Loongs battle back to defeat Shenzhen Leopards in overtime
cgtn.com
