The Shanxi Loongs took down the reigning champion Liaoning Flying Leopards 95-94 at home, climbing to the second place at the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA)
The Loongs entered Monday's match with a four-game winning streak, including two victories over the title contender Beijing Ducks.
Shanxi had a slow start, and Liaoning took as many as 37 points in the first quarter. Shanxi shooter Zhang Ning and Yuan Shuai stepped out in the second quarter, and Shanxi moved ahead 44-43 after an 18-4 run.
The second quarter turned out to be a tough one. Shanxi once extended the lead to ten points, only to see Liaoning catch up with 89-89 with three minutes to go. Liaoning was one point behind with three seconds left, and Shanxi guard Brandon Goodwin finished a key steal to seal the victory for the host team.
Zhang Ning had 22 points for Shanxi. Hamidou Diallo added 19. Big center Liu Chuanxing had 10 points and 15 rebounds.
Liaoning scorer Dezmine Wells made 40 points.
"The victory comes from our good defense," said Shanxi head coach Pan Jiang. "We grabbed six more rebounds than our opponents."
The Zhejiang Lions was defeated 101-77 by the Shenzhen Leopards, and the 10-game winning streak came to an end. Despite the loss, the Lions still stays on the top of the rankings with a 15-3 record.
In other action, the Sichuan Blue Whales edged the Jilin Northeast Tigers 111-105, the Shandong Heroes beat the Fujian Sturgeons 103-92, the Zhejiang Golden Bulls saw off the Ningbo Rockets 95-90, the Beijing Royal Fighters defeated the Xinjiang Flying Tigers 102-101, the Qingdao Eagles breezed past the Nanjing Monkey Kings 118-88, the Shanghai Sharks overpowered the Guangzhou Loong Lions 113-106 after the second overtime, and the Beijing Ducks eased past the Tianjin Pioneers 117-98.
