JINAN, April 29 (Xinhua) — The Shanxi Loongs survived a comeback to defeat the Qingdao Eagles 90-86 in overtime, while the Zhejiang Golden Bulls held off playoff debutants the Ningbo Rockets 65-57 on Wednesday in the opening games of the best-of-three CBA first round playoff series.
In Qingdao, the home side looked poised for victory after erasing a 20-point deficit to force overtime, but a crucial turnover by Wang Yibo in the dying moments allowed Shanxi to steal a road win.
Qingdao started strong, racing into an 11-4 lead, but their offense stagnated in the first half due to poor shooting, with only one of 15 attempts converted from beyond the arc. By contrast, Shanxi’s Zhang Ning shone before halftime, scoring 11 points to help his team overturn the deficit and take a 45-38 lead into the break.
Shanxi continued to dominate in the second half, extending their lead to over 20 points. However, Qingdao mounted a furious comeback in the final minutes, unleashing a 23-3 run to force overtime. In the extra period, despite a heroic effort from Jordan Mickey, Wang’s failed turnover dashed Qingdao’s hopes of completing the reversal.
Marco Knight led Shanxi with 29 points, six rebounds, and six assists. For Qingdao, Mickey finished with a double-double of 30 points and 22 rebounds, while Duan Angjun added 21 points.
Zhejiang and Ningbo remained locked in a tight defensive battle until the final minutes. Rookie guard Li Yuezhou, 19, delivered a clutch performance for Zhejiang, assisting Liu Zeyi for a key basket in the paint and then sinking a critical 3-pointer to push Zhejiang 62-55 ahead, effectively sealing the victory.
Cheng Shuaipeng led Zhejiang with 14 points before exiting with an injury. Center Dakari Johnson added 13 points and seven rebounds, playing a pivotal role on the defensive end. For Ningbo, import Zavier Simpson notched 16 points, four rebounds, and four assists.
“The first game is very important, and we felt the pressure. They never gave up, but we found ways to come back,” Zhejiang head coach Alexandros Falekas said after the game. ■
