ZHUJI, China, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- Liaoning Flying Leopards beat Nanjing Monkey Kings 111-105 in the 18th round of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) here on Monday.
Liaoning stormed an 11-0 surge to build a lead of 19 points in the second quarter before Nanjing cut the deficit down to nine at the end of the first half.
The runners-up of the last season maintained their momentum after the interval while Nanjing fought back as Arnett Moultrie and Wan Shengwei continued to score in the paint.
After Sun Siyao and Yang Haozhe s two 3-pointers, Nanjing lagged behind by only one point in the fourth quarter. Liaoning soon responded with O.J. Mayo s five straight points and a jump shot from Guo Ailun. Though Nanjing had no intention to give up, the time left on the clock was not enough for them when Zhao Jiwei hit a crucial 3-pointer for Liaoning three seconds before the end of the game.
Liaoning continued to lead the league with a 16-2 record after this victory. Guo Ailun had 35 points, four rebounds and six assists for Liaoning, while O.J. Mayo contributed 18 points and six assists.
Nanjing s Arnett Moultrie had a double-double of 35 points and 16 rebounds. Wan Shengwei, the former Chinese University Basketball Association finals MVP from Beijing University, had 20 points and six rebounds.
Playing as a pro improved my understanding of basketball. It s totally different from the college days. You need to put your heart and your soul into the sport. Other players will immediately surpass you once you lose focus, explained Wan Shengwei. Enditem