SHANGHAI, June 5 (Xinhua) -- The Shanghai Sharks defeated the Zhejiang Lions 103-82 in Game 5 on Friday to win the 2025-26 Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) Finals 4-1, winning their second league title and the first since 2002.
Returning to home court with Kenneth Lofton Jr. back in the lineup, Shanghai started the first quarter with a 5-0 run, but the Lions, having adjusted the lineup after Game 4, responded effectively. After the first quarter, Shanghai held a slim 28-24 lead.
Zhejiang came out strong in the second quarter, going on a 12-5 run to take the lead. Sharks' star Zhang Zhenlin then broke the deadlock for Shanghai, who fought back with consecutive points in a tightly contested half. The Sharks went into the break leading 49-47.
Shanghai continued to attack the paint after halftime. Kyle Fogg and Wang Zhelin showed a significant improvement in form compared to previous games. Fogg, in particular, caught fire, scoring 12 straight points as the Sharks built a commanding lead. Shanghai ended the third quarter with a 76-69 advantage to set up a decisive final period.
In the fourth quarter, Zhejiang cut the deficit to four points with a 5-2 run, but Shanghai found another gear and pressed home their advantage, eventually closing out a convincing 103-82 victory.
Wang Zhelin led the Sharks with 29 points and 15 rebounds, while Brandon Goodwin added 25 points. For the Lions, Barry Brown Jr. scored a team-high 33 points on top of seven rebounds and three assists, and Hu Jinqiu contributed 20 points and nine rebounds.
Shanghai finished the regular season with a 38-4 record, powered by a 23-game winning streak to tie their own record in 2001-02 season. Enditem
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