BEIJING, March 7 (Xinhua) -- Following an exciting and emotional All-Star Weekend, the 36th round of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) took the stage this week, in which Zhang Ning's layup in the last second led the Shanxi Loongs to edge the Zhejiang Lions 100-98.
Shanxi and Zhejiang were almost neck-to-neck in the first half, and Hamidou Diallo scored 10 points in the third quarter to help Shanxi take a seven-point lead.
The home team Zhejiang came back in the fourth quarter, and the clash was tied at 98-98 with one minute and 28 seconds remaining. Both teams missed shots before Zhang finished a layup in a coast-to-coast fast break to seal the win. Despite the loss, Zhejiang still tops the ranking, followed by Shanxi in the second place.
28-year-old Zhang, who represented China to compete in the 3x3 basketball at the Paris Olympics last year, noted after the match on social media, "I didn't think about passing in the final fast break. I really enjoy celebrating the victory with my teammates."
Zhang came off the bench to register 22 points, while Diallo contributed 25 points and nine rebounds for Shanxi. Hu Jinqiu of Zhejiang scored a game-high 26 points.
Zhejiang head coach Wang Bo said after the competition, "Our team had a poor performance in shooting today, which made it difficult to catch up. We need to adjust ourselves quickly to get prepared for the next game."
Reigning CBA champion Liaoning Flying Leopards suffered a painful loss to their long-time rivals the Guangdong Southern Tigers 127-83. Six players of Guangdong scored in double digits to secure the victory.
The Qingdao Eagles also had a big win over the Guangzhou Loong Lions 126-80, as China's rising star Yang Hansen had 13 points, 15 rebounds and six blocks for the home team Qingdao.
The Shanghai Sharks maintained their momentum before the All-Star Weekend, who defeated the Tianjin Pioneers 126-113, while the Beijing Ducks saw off the Shandong Heroes 103-94.
Elsewhere, the Xinjiang Flying Tigers cruised past the Ningbo Rockets 110-103, the Fujian Sturgeons stunned the Nanjing Monkey Kings 122-113, and the Jilin Northeast Tigers eased past the Sichuan Blue Whales 118-102.
In the last two matches of the 36th round on Thursday, the Shenzhen Leopards bounced back to beat the Jiangsu Dragons 115-109, while the Beijing Royal Fighters clinched victory over the Zhejiang Golden Bulls 129-127 in overtime. ■
