CBA leaders Guangsha Lions cruise past struggling Sichuan Blue Whales for ninth straight win

The Guangsha Lions remain on top of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) standings, after beating the Sichuan Blue Whales 115-99 at home in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, on Saturday, extending their winning streak to nine games.

Guangsha guard Sun Minghui shot 6-for-13 from the field while scoring 16 points and distributing a game-high 18 assists for the hosts. He also rose to sixth place on the CBA's all-time assists list, with 2,480 of his passes having been turned into buckets by his teammates.

The Lions built a 10-point lead, 26-16, in the first quarter. Sichuan could only rely on Edmond Sumner to provide scoring in the opening half. He contributed 14 points for the visitors in the second quarter, but Barry Brown had 11 for Guangsha to keep the home team in control, 59-47.

Marin Maric and Wang Xinkai stepped up to provide Sumner with more support in the third quarter. The Blue Whales scored 31 points, but their defense continued to disappoint, as the Lions outscored them by one point in the period.

When Sumner went to the bench in the fourth quarter, Sichuan's offensive struggles resurfaced, while Guangsha sent its younger players onto the court to gain valuable game experience. Even as the Lions maintained a huge lead, Brown was sent back into the contest to help his teammates slam the door, closing with a 13-5 run.

Guangsha is the last CBA team to remain undefeated at home, after improving to 17-0 in Hangzhou this season.

In the night's other two games, the Guangdong Southern Tigers beat the Fujian Sturgeons 116-92 on the road for their eighth straight win, while the Xinjiang Flying Tigers crushed the Guangzhou Loong Lions 116-97 at home.