The Shanxi Loongs secured a hard-fought victory against the Fujian Sturgeons with a final score of 122-117 in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province. The game was marked by intense competition, featuring a total of 60 fouls and 73 free throws.
Despite Fujian's position at the bottom of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) standings, they dominated the offensive play in the first half. A pivotal moment occurred five minutes into the second quarter when Fujian led 20-5 in free throws.
Fujian surged with a 14-0 run early in the quarter, extending their lead to 44-27. Shanxi called a timeout but responded with a 7-0 run led by Hamidou Diallo and Ge Zhaobao, bringing the score to 62-52 before halftime.
In the second half, Shanxi ramped up their aggression. Brandon Goodwin and Zhang Ning led a decisive streak, outscoring Fujian 12-2 in two minutes to take a six-point lead. Despite Fujian tightening the gap again, the game remained competitive into the final minutes.
Zhang Ning found his shooting rhythm in the fourth quarter, hitting three crucial three-pointers and ending the game with 12 points. Alongside Goodwin and Yuan Shuai, his performance was instrumental in Shanxi outscoring Fujian 34-26 in the final period.
Joseph Young's efforts kept Fujian in the game, but poor defensive rebounding allowed Shanxi to capitalize with last-second offensive rebounds by Yuan, sealing the win.
In other CBA action, the Guangzhou Loong Lions ended their 11-game losing streak by defeating the Jiangsu Dragons 100-91 on the road.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
