BEIJING, March 11 (Xinhua) — Marshon Brooks had 21 points, 12 rebounds and five assists as the Guangdong Southern Tigers saw off old rivals Zhejiang Lions 98-96 on Saturday.
Guangdong had a strong start with a 13-2 run. The Lions narrowed the gap to five midway, but still trailed by 31-22 after the first quarter because of seven turnovers.
Guangdong rebuilt a double-digit advantage at the beginning of the second period through three-pointers from Yi Jianlian and Brooks, and kept their momentum.
The Lions refused to let their rivals run away, keeping the game close in the second half.
Hu Jinqiu lifted the Lions to an 80-78 lead with 9:21 to play in the final period. Brooks contributed four points consecutively and Yi inspired an 8-0 run, helping Guangdong retake the lead.
Yi failed to convert a free throw when the Lions played foul tactics in the last few seconds. Although Will Cummings responded with a fast three and Sun Minghui had a key steal with 5.8 seconds remaining on the clock, the duo missed their last two shots, putting an end to their team’s hopes.
Fellow title favorites the Zhejiang Golden Bulls won their eighth game in a row in the ongoing regular season after smashing the Qingdao Eagles 118-102 at home.
Wu Qian scored 24 points and Jarmar Gulley had 23 for Zhejiang. Eugene German led Qingdao with 49 points.
Elsewhere, the Nanjing Monkey Kings won over the Jiangsu Dragons 89-87, the Tianjin Pioneers lost to the Shanxi Loongs 113-110, and the Beijing Royal Fighters suffered a 98-93 defeat against the Guangzhou Loong Lions.