Beijing, February 29, 2024, The Europe Today: The Jiangsu Dragons’ challenging campaign in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) league persisted as they faced a 107-86 defeat at the hands of the Shanxi Loongs on Thursday, marking their 17th consecutive loss in the league.
With the rescheduled 18th-round match resulting in another setback, Jiangsu finds itself second from the bottom in the league standings with a win-loss record of 4-35.
Alexey Shved led Shanxi’s dominating performance with a triple-double, contributing 23 points, 13 rebounds, and 14 assists. Yuan Shuai and Ge Zhaobao added to the firepower with 24 and 20 points, respectively.
Commenting on the victory, Shanxi coach Yang Xuezeng remarked, “We had advantages in defense and rebounds. Our players were patient on the court, and did well in execution.”
Ge initiated Shanxi’s control with an early 10-0 run, securing a 27-17 lead after the first quarter. Although Jiangsu attempted a comeback with Cui Xiaolong’s layup, Shanxi quickly responded, maintaining a double-figure lead at 53-43 by halftime.
Despite Jiangsu’s efforts, Shanxi extended its lead to 17 points heading into the fourth quarter, securing a comfortable victory. Shved’s impactful four-point play further solidified Shanxi’s dominance, leading to a final score of 107-86.
Jalen Riley emerged as the top scorer for Jiangsu with 27 points, while Alpha Kaba recorded a double-double with 11 points and 12 boards.
The next phase of the CBA regular season is set to resume after the All-Star Weekend in Xiamen, east China’s Fujian Province, kicking off next Wednesday with 13 rounds of matches remaining on the calendar.
