Shanghai edge Zhejiang for third straight win

On October 30 (Beijing Time), Zhejiang and Shanghai — both 4-1 in their first five games — faced off. The home side, Zhejiang, ultimately fell to Shanghai 81-88.

Shanghai had a full roster available, while Zhejiang remained without young guard Li Yuezhou. Shanghai's import guards Brandon Goodwin and Russell opened strong, sparking a 15-9 run. Cheng Shuaipeng then hit a three, and the bench duo of Vitale and Yu Jiahao combined to help Zhejiang cut the deficit to 24-25 at the end of the first quarter. Both teams hit a scoring drought in the second quarter, with only Li Tianrong's jumper finding the net for a two-minute stretch. Late in the half, Lu Wenbo hit back-to-back threes to keep it close, while Russell drew fouls and Li Tianrong added a three for Shanghai. Zhejiang trailed 39-46 at halftime.

In the third quarter, Shanghai shot 5-of-10 from beyond the arc but turned the ball over frequently and made just one two-point field goal, scoring only 17 points in the period. Zhejiang chipped away as Vitale, Liu Zeyi, and Zagars drew fouls, cutting the deficit by four to enter the fourth quarter down 60-63. In the final frame, Lu Wenbo's three briefly tied the game, but Zhang Zhenlin and Li Tianrong answered to put Shanghai back ahead. In the clutch, Goodwin hit a deep three, Li Hongquan drained a transition corner three, and Goodwin drew a three-shot foul. Despite Zagars' continued scoring, Shanghai held on for the win.

Stats:
Shanghai: Brandon Goodwin 32 pts, 8 reb, 7 ast; Li Hongquan 12 pts, 9 reb; Li Tianrong 13 pts, 6 reb.
Zhejiang: Lu Wenbo 17 pts; Zagars 19 pts, 5 ast; Vitale 12 pts.