JINJIANG, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- Wang Zhelin had 34 points as the Fujian Sturgeons beat the visiting Shanxi Loongs 106-101 in the 25th round of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) here on Saturday.
Fujian led by 25-16 in the first quarter thanks to the 11 points from the league's reigning MVP Wang. Another local star Chen Linjian stood up for 14 points, leading Fujian into the third quarter with a 21-point advantage.
In the second half, under the leadership of Jamaal Franklin, Shanxi gradually cut the deficit to 82-70 going into the final quarter. However, at clutch time, the visitors missed several attempts from the 3-pointer line, sending Fujian a 106-101 home victory.
"This is a very difficult game. We have won eight games in the past month. Congratulations to our players and fans," said Fujian's head coach Aleksandar Kesar.
Pooh Jeter had 22 points, 9 rebounds and 13 assists for Fujian, while Chen Linjian scored 20 points and grabbed 7 rebounds.
Jamaal Franklin got a game-high 39 points and 10 assists for Shanxi, but the other players scored no more than 12 points.
"Our players are too hesitant in the game,they need to be more decisive," Shanxi's head coach WangFei noted.
Shanxi slipped to 11th in the standings, three places above Fujian.
