Goodwin's clutch three powers Shanghai to vital win over Guangsha in CBA Finals

Brandon Goodwin delivered a sensational buzzer-beating three-pointer to propel the Shanghai Sharks past defending champions the Guangsha Lions 91-88 in a crucial contest at the CBA Finals on Thursday night, giving the top-seeded Sharks a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven championship series.

The game got off to a rocky start for Guangsha, who found themselves in a hole early on, trailing 11-0. Zhu Junlong finally reduced the deficit for the Lions with a timely triple, but the Sharks responded swiftly, ending the first quarter with a seven-point advantage.

Guangsha, refusing to back down, mounted a comeback. Barry Brown's three-pointer trimmed the deficit to six, but Shanghai went into halftime clinging to a slender one-point advantage.

After the break, the reigning champions surged ahead for the first time, buoyed by three of Hu Jinqiu's 20 points on the night. Yet, the Sharks fought back, with Li Hongquan contributing three of his 16 points, reclaiming the lead by the end of the third quarter.

In the game's climactic moments, Brown etched his name into the CBA record books, netting a career-high 50 points with a clutch layup that put Guangsha ahead 88-86 with just 41 seconds left.

But Goodwin stole the spotlight, intercepting the ball from Brown in the final seconds and racing down the court to drill the decisive buzzer-beater, sealing the 91-88 win for Shanghai.

The Lions will aim to rebound when they host Game Three in Hangzhou on Sunday, determined to claw back into the series.