In Hangzhou, the Guangsha Lions secured their team record 35th win of the season by defeating the Shanghai Sharks 114-101 in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) on Monday. The Lions’ Barry Brown delivered a stellar performance, scoring a game-high 49 points by shooting 17-for-29 from the field. His explosive play was instrumental in overpowering the Sharks, whose Kenneth Lofton contributed an impressive 33 points, 23 rebounds, and nine assists.
The first quarter saw a tight contest, with the score tied at 23-23. A three-pointer from James Nunnally, assisted by Zhu Junlong, gave the Lions a slight edge, closing the quarter at 34-26. Nunnally and Brown combined for 21 points in the opening period.
In the second quarter, Lofton aggressively attacked the paint, opening up opportunities for teammate Li Tianrong to hit several uncontested three-pointers. Despite Lofton’s double-double of 18 points and 12 rebounds by halftime, Brown’s 14 points in the period helped the Lions maintain a 66-56 lead at the half.
The Sharks fought back in the third quarter, with Yan Pengfei hitting three consecutive shots and contributions from D.J. Wilson and Liu Lijia. They narrowed the gap to four points, but a timely three-pointer from Nathan Knight extended the Lions’ lead to 91-84 heading into the final quarter.
Shanghai continued to push in the fourth quarter, coming within two points at 95-93. However, Lofton’s fifth personal foul limited his defensive impact. Taking advantage, Brown and Hu Jinqiu combined to score the Lions’ final 15 points, sealing the victory and extending their winning streak to four games.
