Liu Chuanxing injured and withdrew! Zhang Ning and Gao Shiyan were ejected, Shanxi narrowly defeated Shandong, Chen Linjian scored 21 points

Ask AI · How can Shanxi stage a comeback to end its losing streak and edge Shandong?

On March 27, 2025 (Beijing time), in the 2025-26 CBA regular season, Shandong visited Shanxi. Shandong’s new foreign signing, Steal, made his debut for the club. Liu Chuanxing played only 1 minute in the first quarter before being injured after a forearm/elbow strike from Tao Hanlin and was forced to leave. The teams were tied at halftime. In the second half, both sides kept the game tightly contested, with Zhang Ning and Gao Shiyang each picking up five fouls and being ejected. In the end, Shanxi beat Shandong 100-94 to end a two-game losing streak, while Shandong ended a three-game winning streak.

Statistical Summary

Shandong: Johnson 30 points, 6 assists; Chen Linjian 21 points; Steal 16 points, 10 rebounds; Jones 10 points, 4 rebounds; Tao Hanlin 6 points, 10 rebounds; Gao Shiyang 1 point, 5 fouls.

Shanxi: Nait 25 points, 2 rebounds, 5 assists; Zhang Ning 17 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists; Diallo 14 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists; Ge Zhaobao 12 points, 2 rebounds; Liu Dong 10 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals; Jia Mingru 9 points, 3 assists.

Game Recap

Shandong had won their previous three straight games against Tianjin, Sichuan, and Xinjiang to pick up a three-game winning streak. Shanxi had lost their previous two games to Guangzhou and Shanghai, suffering a two-game losing streak. This season’s first matchup saw Shandong beat Shanxi 88-78 at home. Shanxi was missing Yuan Shuai and Jiao Hailong, while Shandong welcomed new foreign signing Steal for his debut. In the opening of the first quarter, Shanxi led 10-9. Shanxi then went on a 12-3 run, gradually expanding their advantage to 22-12. Shandong kept mounting a comeback and closed the gap; at the end of the first quarter, Shanxi led Shandong 30-26. In the first quarter, Shanxi shot 9-for-15, including 2-for-4 from three-point range. Nait scored 13 points on 5-for-5 in under 7 minutes, and Ge Zhaobao added 8 points. Shandong went 9-for-13 overall, including 2-for-6 from three, with Steal going 4-for-4 for 9+4 and Chen Linjian scoring 7 points.

In the second quarter, both teams scored fewer than 30 points in the period. Shanxi were chased down to 37-37, after which the two sides continued to battle it out until Shanxi went from leading 43-44 to trailing by one. Shandong’s inside-and-out scoring produced points, and Shanxi were still pulled back further as the score moved to 46-52. However, Shanxi responded with a 7-1 run to tie the game. Shanxi outscored Shandong 27-23 in the quarter by four points, and at halftime the score remained level at 53-53. In the first two quarters, Shanxi were 4-for-9 from three, with Nait going 8-for-8 for 19 points and 3 assists, while Ge Zhaobao scored 8 points. Shandong were 6-for-12 from three, with Chen Linjian hitting three-point shots three times for 15 points, Steal scoring 11+7, and Johnson adding 13 points with 4 assists.

After halftime, in both the third and fourth quarters, neither team scored 30 points in a single quarter; and in the third quarter, each team scored no more than 25 points. The two sides continued to stay locked in. After Shanxi went to 64-67, they gradually produced a 7-0 run to take a four-point lead. Shandong also fought back to tie it at 73-73. Shanxi kept scoring from inside and outside to take a 78-74 lead; Shandong then cut it down by two points to keep pressure on. Shanxi won the quarter 25-23. After three quarters, Shanxi led Shandong 78-76. In the first three quarters, Johnson had 22 points and Chen Linjian had 15 points, while Steal finished 16+10; Nait led the way with 23 points, with three players reaching double figures.

Entering the fourth quarter, the two sides kept wrestling the game until it was 80-80. Shanxi scored four straight to take the lead, and Shandong responded with five consecutive points. Shanxi again got contributions from both inside and outside to take a 92-87 lead. Shandong then answered with a 6-0 run to take a one-point lead. Zhang Ning hit a mid-range jumper, and Tao Hanlin scored on a layup to take a three-point lead and call a timeout for Shandong. After that, both sides kept committing missed shots and turnovers. Zhang Ning fouled out and left the game with five fouls. Diallo hit both free throws to extend the advantage by five points. Shandong had no way to turn the tide, and in the end, Shanxi survived to edge Shandong.

Starting Lineups

Shandong: Chen Linjian, Gao Shiyang, Guo Kai, Purcell, Jones

Shanxi: Ge Zhaobao, Han Peiyu, Yumi Ti, Diallo, Nait

(Story by / Drunk and Resting in Floating Life)