Haddadi's 23 boards help Sichuan edge Shanghai 102-96 in CBA

ZHUJI - Sichuan veteran center Hamed Haddadi got 27 points and 23 boards, helping the Sichuan Blue Whales beat the Shanghai Sharks 102-96 in the second phase of the 2020-21 Chinese Basketball Association league on Thursday.

Shanghai got off to a slow start in the very beginning of the game, giving Sichuan a chance to lead 27-10 in the first quarter, and keep the win with 55-42 at the half-time break.

Both Sichuan and Shanghai played aggressively for the rest of the match and Shanghai momently got a two-point lead in the middle of the last quarter. However, Shanghai guard Jimmer Fredette missed a crucial 3-pointer. And Han Shuo of Sichuan got three free throws to secure the victory.

Jimmer Fredette of Shanghai pocketed 24 points, and Ou Junxuan added seven points and nine rebounds. For Sichuan, Jing Hanyi scored 19 points, four rebounds and four assists, and Su Ruoyu added 13 points, plus 10 rebounds.

"It was a satisfying game. Good to see that we survived their short comeback," Sichuan head coach Zhou Jinli said.

"Except the first few minutes, the rest of the game we played pretty solid," said Shanghai head coach Neven Spahija. "Unfortunately, at the end of the game, we missed some open shots and let the game go on their side."