Sports Desk
QINGDAO: Ray McCallum scored 27 points as the Shanghai Sharks overcame the Shandong Heroes 98-89, finishing the regular season off in a bit of excellent form in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) on Sunday.
“It’s positive for the team to finish the season with a win. We played really well in the first half and did a great job on defense,” said Shanghai’s acting head coach Manos Manouselis.
“Unfortunately, such a playoffs-less season is not successful for us. But we are going better and take a good step for the future. I really appreciate everyone’s effort,” he added.
McCallum scored seven straight points in Shanghai’s 11-2 surge early in the opening quarter.
Shandong pulled within 13-8, but Dong Hanlin’s dunk and Luo Hanchen’s 3-pointer put Shanghai 27-16 ahead into the second.
While Shandong struggled with 2-of-12 shooting from the perimeter in the first half, Shanghai went on a 7-0 run midway through the second period to build a 52-38 lead at halftime.
Shandong cut the margin to 63-58 on a 10-2 run in the third before McCallum beat the buzzer with a mid-range jumper, extending Shanghai’s lead to eight.
Shandong regained its footing in offense in the fourth, trailing by two on a 3-pointer from veteran Zhang Qingpeng.
However, Yan Peng responded with back-to-back shots from beyond the arc to hold Shandong at bay.
“Our post players did poor on defensive end and always gave rivals too many easy baskets. We need to improve it especially in playoffs,” said Shandong’s coach Gong Xiaobin.
Gong also paid tribute to medical staff who were invited to watch the game for the first time after CBA’s restart. “They are all heroes and we appreciate their efforts.”
Luo finished with 15 points and seven assists for Shanghai, while Jia Cheng got 18 points for Shandong.
