Guangsha Overcomes Shanxi, Secures Top Seed for Upcoming CBA Postseason
The Guangsha Lions triumphed over the Shanxi Loongs with a score of 110-107 in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, on Saturday, marking their sixth consecutive victory and securing first place in the Chinese Basketball Association regular season, along...
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The Guangsha Lions triumphed over the Shanxi Loongs with a score of 110-107 in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, on Saturday, marking their sixth consecutive victory and securing first place in the Chinese Basketball Association regular season, along with the top seed in the forthcoming CBA Playoffs, with three games remaining.
Despite missing three starters – Sun Minghui, Hu Jinqiu, and Barry Brown – James Nunnally shone brightly, scoring a game-high 33 points while also contributing five rebounds and four assists to guide the Lions to their win.
The initial quarter remained competitive until Guangsha launched an 11-2 run in the middle, highlighted by three-pointers from Nunnally and Zhao Yanhao.
In the second quarter, Zhu Junlong joined Nunnally and Zhao in connecting from long range, helping the Lions to stretch their lead to 14 points at 46-32, their largest advantage of the night. For Shanxi, only Brandon Goodwin and Hamidou Diallo were able to score consistently, leading to a nine-point deficit at halftime, with a score of 60-51.
Zhang Ning took on a more prominent role offensively alongside Goodwin and Diallo in the third quarter. After being fouled while attempting a three-pointer, he converted all three free throws, bringing the Loongs within three points at 73-70.
Nunnally responded by scoring six consecutive points, as Guangsha embarked on a 10-4 run to reestablish a nine-point lead at 83-74. Diallo picked up his fifth personal foul during this period, which concluded with Guangsha ahead 86-79.
To begin the fourth quarter, Zhang and Yuan Shuai both hit crucial three-pointers that energized Shanxi. The Loongs briefly took the lead at 97-95 when Jia Mingru sank a mid-range jumper, but Nathan Knight quickly regained the advantage for Guangsha with a four-point play.
As the game progressed, the visitors maintained a five-point lead despite Shanxi's persistent attempts to close the gap. In the closing seconds, when Zhang missed two desperate three-point attempts, Guangsha secured a narrow three-point victory over Shanxi.
Jessica Kline for TROIB News
Despite missing three starters – Sun Minghui, Hu Jinqiu, and Barry Brown – James Nunnally shone brightly, scoring a game-high 33 points while also contributing five rebounds and four assists to guide the Lions to their win.
The initial quarter remained competitive until Guangsha launched an 11-2 run in the middle, highlighted by three-pointers from Nunnally and Zhao Yanhao.
In the second quarter, Zhu Junlong joined Nunnally and Zhao in connecting from long range, helping the Lions to stretch their lead to 14 points at 46-32, their largest advantage of the night. For Shanxi, only Brandon Goodwin and Hamidou Diallo were able to score consistently, leading to a nine-point deficit at halftime, with a score of 60-51.
Zhang Ning took on a more prominent role offensively alongside Goodwin and Diallo in the third quarter. After being fouled while attempting a three-pointer, he converted all three free throws, bringing the Loongs within three points at 73-70.
Nunnally responded by scoring six consecutive points, as Guangsha embarked on a 10-4 run to reestablish a nine-point lead at 83-74. Diallo picked up his fifth personal foul during this period, which concluded with Guangsha ahead 86-79.
To begin the fourth quarter, Zhang and Yuan Shuai both hit crucial three-pointers that energized Shanxi. The Loongs briefly took the lead at 97-95 when Jia Mingru sank a mid-range jumper, but Nathan Knight quickly regained the advantage for Guangsha with a four-point play.
As the game progressed, the visitors maintained a five-point lead despite Shanxi's persistent attempts to close the gap. In the closing seconds, when Zhang missed two desperate three-point attempts, Guangsha secured a narrow three-point victory over Shanxi.
Jessica Kline for TROIB News
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