BEIJING, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Shanghai Sharks extended its winning streak to 12 games after beating the Ningbo Rockets 126-113, while the Zhejiang Lions kept the leading place on the standings by edging the Beijing Royal Fighters 104-99 in the 26th round of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) league on Saturday.
The Sharks started the season with a 1-10 record, and they managed to come back on track by winning every single match after their loss to the Shandong Heroes on December 2.
The 12-game winning run was Shanghai's longest streak since the 2016-17 season.
Shanghai attacking duo Li Tianrong and Li Hongquan combined for 50 points. Kenneth Lofton contributed 17 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, only one assist short of a triple-double. Eric Bledsoe got 15 points and 13 assists.
"It's a good revenge for us, because we lost twice to the Rockets in the previous rounds," said Shanghai head coach Lu Wei.
"We tried to extend our advantage during the game, but the Rockets worked hard enough to catch up."
Shanghai led by six points by the half-time whistle, only to see Ningbo cut the deficit to two points with one quarter left.
Shanghai center Wang Zhelin stood out in the final period, helping the team to broaden the gap to double digits and seal the victory.
Ningbo forward Mangok Mathiang had 31 points. Jordan Howard added 30.
The league leader Zhejiang Lions had a tough match against the Royal Fighters. The Lions had a slow start, and dashed out in the final minutes to wrap up the victory.
Zhejiang star guard Sun Minghui finished a triple-double with 14 points, 10 rebounds and 15 assists. Barry Brown and Joshua Carlton made 24 points and 18 points respectively.
"We made too many turnovers today," said Zhejiang head coach Wang Bo, whose team turned the ball over for 18 times throughout the game.
"It's a long season, so it's hard for a team to always stay on top form."
The Lions stayed on the top place with a 22-4 record. The Xinjiang Flying Tigers and the Shanxi Loongs were listed second and third.
Elsewhere, the Guangdong Southern Tigers edged the Shandong Heroes 98-93, the Liaoning Flying Leopards smashed the Jilin Northeast Tigers 102-81, the Nanjing Monkey Kings moved past the Tianjin Pioneers 108-95,
In the earlier games of the round, the Beijing Ducks beat the Zhejiang Golden Bulls 118-96, the Shenzhen Leopards defeated the Fujian Sturgeons 122-112, the Jiangsu Dragons upset the Guangzhou Loong Lions 96-90, the Qingdao Eagles won over the Shanxi Loongs 129-122, the Xinjiang Flying Tigers overcame the Sichuan Blue Whales 100-94. ■
