The Liaoning Flying Leopards faced their first home defeat of the season as the Shanxi Loongs secured a narrow 103-100 victory in Shenyang, Liaoning Province, on Thursday. This marks the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) defending champions' first loss since the 2024-25 regular season kicked off.
Liaoning showcased strong shooting, knocking down 16 triples out of 37 attempts. Marial Shayok was a standout with 21 points and three steals, while Kyle Fogg amazed fans by scoring a game-high 30 points off the bench. However, the rest of the starters struggled, with none reaching double figures. Point guard Zhao Jiwei contributed 8 points and six assists but struggled with turnovers.
With the score at 100-94 and only two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Shanxi launched a decisive 9-0 run. Xing Zhiqiang ignited the comeback with a crucial four-point play and a key defensive stop against Wang Lanqin's layup attempt.
Brandon Goodwin leveled the game at 100-100 for Shanxi before Liaoning turned the ball over once more. Xing's three-pointer attempted to seal the game, but Zhang Ning's offensive rebound led to Goodwin's game-winning shot just moments before the buzzer.
Liaoning had two final opportunities to push the game into overtime with last-second shots from Fogg and Zhao, but both attempts from downtown fell short. With this win, Shanxi now matches Liaoning with a 5-1 record for the season.
