The Guangdong Southern Tigers squeezed past the Beijing Royal Fighters 134-131 in overtime, while the Nanjing Monkey Kings upset the third-placed Zhejiang Golden Bulls 119-117 in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) league on Thursday.

Taruike Jianiyou (L) of Beijing Ducks vies with Zuo Zhennian of Sichuan Blue Whales during the 40th round match between Beijing Ducks and Sichuan Blue Whales at the 2023-2024 Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) league in Beijing, capital of China, March 7, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Lili)

With 8.9 seconds left in overtime, Beijing guard Zhang Fan, who had nailed a shot to force overtime, saw his potential game-tying 3-point attempt off the target.

Guangdong saw its three-game skid brought to an end. Six Guangdong players scored in double figures, led by Tremont Waters' 27 points.

"It was a tough match. We suffered many turnovers and had some problems in our defense," commented Guangdong coach Du Feng.

In his first game this season, Wang Shaojie notched nine points in the first quarter, and combined with Grant Riller's 12 points, moved Beijing in front 38-31 at the end of an offense-oriented quarter.

Liao Sanning's three-point play kickstarted Beijing's offense, and the visitors led by as many as 15 points with two minutes played in the second quarter, while Guangdong countered with a 14-0 spurt within the next three minutes. Sonny Weems added a 3-pointer as Guangdong went ahead 50-48, while Riller snapped Beijing's skid by banking in a shot from 3-point range.

As the two sides exchanged baskets, Waters made a layup at the buzzer to help Guangdong establish a 68-65 halftime advantage.

Jakarr Sampson made a buzzer-beating jumper as Beijing trailed 91-92 heading into the final frame. The fierce battle was stretched to the final stages, with the score leveled at 118-all with 1:30 left. Ren Junfei tipped in a rebound as Guangdong went ahead 120-118. With 6.3 seconds remaining, Beijing had an inbound pass, and although Kay Felder failed to make it while attacking the basket, the rebound was tipped to Zhang Fan, who nailed a shot at the buzzer.

Guangdong center Zhou Qi, who finished with a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds, fell hard on the floor when going for a layup and had to be subbed out, before Du Runwang converted two free throws to earn Guangdong a 133-129 lead. Felder turned the ball over in the last seconds, and Waters made one of two free throws for Guangdong's three-point lead.

Weems scored 24 points, while Hu Mingxuan, who was awarded MVP of the All-Star Game last weekend, had 21 for Guangdong.

On the Beijing side, Liao had a team-high 21 points. Felder pocketed 20, and Meng Zikai went 5-of-5 on 3-pointers for 19 points.

"Both sides put on an intense game. We didn't execute well on some details, like rebounds, in crucial moments, otherwise it would be better for us," said Beijing coach Min Lulei.

Antonio Blakeney starred with 46 points as Nanjing halted Zhejiang's five-game winning streak. Wang Lanqin and Lin Wei chipped in with 22 and 21 points respectively.

Six Zhejiang players hit double digits in scoreboard, with Lu Wenbo leading the way with 25.

Also on Thursday, the Qingdao Eagles sailed past the Ningbo Rockets 107-84, the Shanxi Loongs outplayed the Fujian Sturgeons 117-112, the Zhejiang Lions fell 102-99 to the Shanghai Sharks, the Beijing Ducks routed the Sichuan Blue Whales 118-75, and the Xinjiang Flying Tigers outlasted the Shandong Heroes 130-121.

The last match of the 40th round, between the Tianjin Pioneers and the Shenzhen Aviators, will be held on Friday. 

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