ZHUJI, China, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- With four and half minutes left, Li Yuanyu and Brandon Taylor helped the Ningbo Rockets earn an 11-2 run to nose out the Shanghai Sharks 106-97 in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) league here on Tuesday.
Ningbo had its first victory this season two days ago in the first CBA game of the year 2023.
After Shanghai made a 4-0 start, Ningbo answered with a 10-0 run. Despite its weak defense, Shanghai still led the first quarter 34-31 thanks to a 16-2 run. After a seesaw battle in the second quarter, Shanghai held their nerves together to lead 61-56 at half time and kept a four-point cushion into the final quarter.
Qu Honglin's free-throw tied the game 95-95 for Ningbo. After missing a layup, Li made a 3-pointer to help Ningbo turn the tide. With two more layups from Taylor and a pair of free throws from Qu, Ningbo secured its second victory of the season.
Taylor earned a game-high 22 points for Ningbo, and grabbed six rebounds and 14 assists. Zhao Junfeng and Marko Todorovic added 18 and 16 points respectively.
Wang Zhelin scored 21 points to lead four Shanghai players in double-digit scoring.
In other games on Tuesday, the Zhejiang Lions defeated the Shenzhen Aviators 101-89, while the Jiangsu Dragons beat the Qingdao Eagles 101-95. ■
