The Shenzhen Aviators saw off the Shanxi Loongs 112-107 in the 2020-2021 Chinese Basketball Association league (CBA) regular season here on Saturday, making their rivals suffer two consecutive defeats.

Askia Booker of Shenzhen scored a game-high 34 points, plus five rebounds and four assists. Chinese rising star Shen Zijie finished a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds.

Jamaal Franklin of Shanxi pocketed 28 points, 12 rebounds and five assists, but he was ejected because of earning two unsportsmanlike fouls in the midway of the third quarter, making his rivals dominated the upper hand in the tough game.

Shanxi grabbed a five-point advantage before entering the half break. But after Franklin's ejection, Shenzhen had a 17-4 pointing dash and took an 80-73 lead before the final quarter.

Shanxi almost turned the game around in the fourth quarter, but seeing He Xining and Gu Quan of Shenzhen contributed three three-pointers to Shenzhen in the critical moment, enlarging the gap of the score-line to four points.

Although newcomer Zhang Ning responded with a 3-pointer and narrowed the gap to one, Booker and Gu Quan brought Shenzhen a 5-2 pointing dash only eight seconds remaining on the clock and sent the game beyond their rivals' reach.

Shenzhen will face defending champion the Guangdong Southeast Tigers on December 10.

Source:
courtesy of XINHUA NEWS AGENCY

by XINHUA NEWS AGENCY

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