Shanghai Goes to top 4 after beating Shandong tonight

On May 9th, Beijing time, in the CBA playoffs, the Shanghai Sharks, playing away from home, defeated the Shandong High-Speed 96-68. With a 2-0 sweep, they advanced to the semi-finals, where they will face the winner of the series between the Beijing Ducks and the Guangdong Dragons. Kenneth Lofton scored 20 points, grabbed 9 rebounds and dished out 5 assists, while Chen Linjian contributed 21 points, 1 rebound and 1 assist.

The detailed score of the game (Shandong High-Speed's score is listed second): 29-12, 29-20, 20-17, 18-19.

After the game started, Tao Hanlin scored two points with an assist from Johnson, but Kenneth Lofton quickly tied the score with a layup. Li Hongquan hit a three-pointer with an assist from Goodwin, and Shanghai took the lead and then went on an offensive run. Wang Zhelin scored with a hook shot, Goodwin made a layup, and then Goodwin assisted Kenneth Lofton and Wang Zhelin for dunks, and also helped Wang Zhelin score another layup. With 4 minutes and 43 seconds left in the first quarter, Shanghai led 15-4. After Johnson scored two points and made a free throw, Kenneth Lofton made both free throws, and Whiteside scored with a hook shot, increasing the lead to 14 points. Chen Linjian scored with a jump shot, Kenneth Lofton added a three-pointer, and Te Li Yongwei hit a three-pointer to expand the lead to 18 points. Chen Linjian responded with a three-pointer, Kenneth Lofton scored with a hook shot, and Guo Kai scored with a jump shot. Te Li Yongwei ended the quarter with a jump shot, and Shanghai led 29-12 at the end of the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Li Tianrong started with a three-pointer, Whiteside scored with a layup assisted by Kenneth Lofton, and Li Tianrong made both free throws, increasing Shanghai's lead to 24 points. Chris scored one point from the free-throw line, and Kenneth Lofton and Te Li Yongwei scored consecutively, further widening the gap. After Gao Shiyang scored with a jump shot, Li Tianrong hit another three-pointer and made one free throw, increasing the lead to 29 points. Gao Shiyang responded with a three-pointer, and Zhang Zhenlin and Goodwin scored consecutively, with Shanghai leading by 36 points at one point. Shandong played steadily to catch up, with Guo Kai scoring with a layup, Chen Linjian hitting two consecutive three-pointers, and Gao Shiyang making two free throws. Before the end of the half, Chen Linjian hit another three-pointer to narrow the gap, and Te Li Yongwei scored with a jump shot. At the end of the half, Shanghai led 58-32.

At halftime, Shanghai had established a 26-point lead and had full control of the game.

In the third quarter, Wang Zhelin started with two free throws, and Chen Linjian hit two consecutive three-pointers, reducing the gap to 23 points. Both teams traded baskets, and Shandong continued to catch up. After Tao Hanlin scored with an assist, the gap narrowed to 19 points. Shanghai regained their momentum and increased the lead. Kenneth Lofton made both free throws, Li Tianrong scored with a jump shot, and then Kenneth Lofton dunked with an assist. Zhang Zhenlin made both free throws, and Li Tianrong hit another three-pointer. Before the end of the quarter, Johnson made three consecutive free throws. At the end of the third quarter, Shanghai led 78-49.

In the fourth quarter, Chen Linjian scored with a jump shot first, Kenneth Lofton made both free throws, and Wang Zhelin scored with a layup assisted, increasing Shanghai's lead to 30 points. Tao Hanlin scored consecutively in the paint, and Shandong had a small run to score 8 points, but Shanghai maintained a lead of more than 25 points. After Liu Zheng hit a three-pointer, Shandong hit consecutive three-pointers, reducing the gap to 23 points. Zhang Zhenlin scored three consecutive points, Li Hongquan made a layup, and Liu Zheng added two points, increasing the lead back to 30 points. In the final moments of the game, Guo Kai scored with a layup, and Shanghai Sharks won 96-68.