Chinese Basketball Association leaders the Guangsha Lions narrowly beat their local rivals, the fourth-placed Zhejiang Golden Bulls, in a thrilling matchup, prevailing by a right margin of 102-98, in the league's latest Battle of Hangzhou on Monday.

In this intense rivalry game, Zhejiang started strong and quickly established a double-digit lead, largely thanks to the hot hand of Gabe York. In the second quarter, the Golden Bulls maintained their momentum and continued to extend their advantage, while Guangsha capitalized on steals to force turnovers, with Sun Minghui's perimeter shooting proving to be a significant threat. Zhejiang led 64-54 at halftime.

As the second half began, the Lions' top scorer Barry Brown finally found his offensive rhythm, coming up with key drives and perimeter shots to help level the score. The final quarter saw the contest reach a fever pitch, with Brown and York engaging in an entertaining scoring duel. In the closing moments, a fatigued York was unable to convert a crucial free throw and three-pointer, allowing Guangsha to hold on to their slim lead and secure the victory.

In another key game, Beijing, missing key players Zhou Qi and Zeng Fanbo, rallied in the final quarter to defeat Fujian 105-89.

The first three quarters saw a closely-contested clash with minimal separation between the two teams. But in the final period, Beijing showcased exceptional defensive prowess, limiting Fujian to just 12 points on 2-for-17 shooting.

The strong defensive effort allowed the Ducks to pull away from the Sturgeons, improving to 12-1 at home and snapping a two-game losing streak, after back-to-back road defeats at Guangsha and Zhejiang.