Thursday night in Jinan, east the Chinese mainland's Shandong Province, witnessed a basketball classic as the Shanxi Loongs stunned the Shandong Kylins. In a nail-biting contest, the visitors ended the hosts' impressive 11-game home winning streak with a dramatic 120-119 victory.
The game kicked off with high intensity. Shandong built momentum early when American guard Jamar Gulley scored nine straight points, setting the competitive tone. By the end of the first quarter, both teams were locked at 26-26, promising an exciting battle ahead.
Shanxi hit a rough patch in the second quarter, managing only three points during a six-minute offensive lull and falling into a double-digit deficit. But resilience quickly emerged as Brandon Goodwin, Hamidou Diallo, and Zhang Ning spearheaded a comeback. Their efforts trimmed the gap, leaving the visitors trailing by just one point at 52-51 by halftime.
The intensity only heightened after the break. With Xing Zhiqiang joining the perimeter attack alongside Goodwin and Zhang Ning, Shanxi built an eight-point lead. However, Shandong's Dallas Moore, working in tandem with Gulley, fought back to reclaim a slim one-point edge with only 20 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
In a breathtaking climax, an open Jia Mingru received the ball in the corner. Dodging defenders with a smooth pump fake, he nailed a long jumper with just 0.2 seconds remaining, flipping the score to 120-119 and sealing the win as the buzzer sounded.
Elsewhere in the action-packed night, the Beikong Royal Fighters edged out the Jiangsu Dragons 96-95. Liao Sanning shone brightly off the bench, contributing 26 points, while a late turnover by the Dragons in the final seconds ensured their narrow defeat.
These dramatic finishes capture the unpredictable spirit of professional basketball in the Chinese mainland—an arena where every second counts and heroes are made in the blink of an eye.
Reference(s):
Shanxi ends Shandong's 11-game home winning streak with late jumper
cgtn.com
