ZHUJI, China, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- An 18-of-37 shooting beyond the arc fueled Shanghai Sharks past Sichuan Blue Whales 122-102 for their sixth straight win in the 2020-21 Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) here on Saturday.
Sichuan delivered a 13-8 run at the beginning, but Shanghai grabbed a seven-point scoring streak to fight back with 15-13. Zong Zan's three 3-pointers established a 36-24 advantage for Shanghai in the first quarter.
Shanghai forward Dong Hanlin played a critical role after the break whose scoring in the paint enlarged the gap. With four players getting double digit points, Shanghai took a 64-48 lead to enter the second half.
Twin towers Jimmer Fredette and Marcus Denmon cooperated well facing Sichuan's fierce attack, helping Shanghai lead the third period with 88-75.
Sichuan made a comeback effort in the final quarter by cutting the deficit to 91-83 and forced Shanghai to a timeout, after which Shanghai found back their rhythm with a 14-3 run and never looked back.
"Congratulations to our team for one more win. Except the first five minutes in the third quarter, we played pretty good basketball and did better than the opponents. I think we deserve this win," said Shanghai head coach Neven Spahija.
Fredette notched a game-high 27 points and five rebounds, while Denmon contributed 26 points and three rebounds. Zong added 20 points for Shanghai. Hamed Haddadi had a triple double of 17 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists for Sichuan. Enditem
