Jinan: The Shenzhen Leopards beat the Shandong Heroes 106-95, while the Shanghai Sharks edged the Fujian Sturgeons 98-90 in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) league.
Shenzhen had lost three of the last four games before Saturday, and they did not seal the victory until the last minutes hosting Shandong, reports Xinhua.
Jared Sullinger pocketed 29 points and 17 rebounds for the home side, and He Xining added 26 points. Troy Gillenwater led Shandong with 24 points.
“We maintained high intensity on the defensive side, which led us to the final win. The last two games of the regular season are vital for us to make the playoffs,” He Xining said.
“We have to improve both technically and mentally,” Shenzhen’s head coach Zheng Yonggang said.
Shanghai secured their place in the playoffs by beating Fujian in the away match. Dwayne Bacon emerged as the top scorer of the game, tallying 30 points. Center Wang Zhelin got nine points and three rebounds.
“Both teams focused more on defense, and the score remains relatively low. We seized more chances, which made us win the game,” Shanghai’s head coach Liu Peng said.
Elsewhere, the Zhejiang Golden Bulls extended their winning streak to 10 games as they smashed the Sichuan Blue Whales 119-85, taking over the top place of the table. The Beijing Fighters downed the Jiangsu Dragons 100-84.
–IANS