Both Liaoning Panpan and Jiangsu Nangang scored respective home and away games on December 31, 2004 to keep leading their divisions at the year-end in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) league.

Liaoning defeated Shanghai Sharks 109-100 as Bian Qiang scored 35 points, including seven of 12 three-pointers. He also made 10 steals, five assists. Four other teammates made double digits for a combined total of 52 points.

Zhang Wenqi scored game-high 39 points including six 3-pointers for the Sharks, and point guard Liu Wei added 25. But the visitors won neither of the periods, losing 26-28, 28-31, 22-24 and 24-26 in a row.

In Jilin, the Northeast Tigers missed injuried Roderick Gragoire, and lost to undefeated Jiangsu 95-108 as the visitors

celebrated their 20th straight winning game in the season.

From 21-25 down in the first period, Jiangsu exploited the height advantages of Tang Zhengdong and Simeon Halet as the "Twin Towers" combined for 23 points in the second period to overtake the home side 53-44 into the second half.

In the fourth period, Lu Yan and Nie Jinqiang capped a 7-2 run with three-pointers to claw back to 79-80, the closest margin for the Tigers, before Zhang Cheng scored 15 of his 28 points later to put the game aside.

Tang also added 28 points for Jiangsu, and Hu Weidong contributed 22 points.

Zhejiang Cyclone was the only other home-losing team of the day, bowing to Xinjiang Guanghui 80-101. Soumaila Samake scored game-high 36 points for the Cyclone, making 15 of 19 shots, and grabbed 20 rebounds. However, Wu Naiqun and Wang Nan were his only other teammates with double digits as they combined for 30 points.

Lorenzo Coleman led Xinjiang with 24 points, Xu Guochong added 20. While Xue Yuyang and Lu Xiaoming each contributed 14 points, Gong Daming also made 13 points.

In Kunming, Lee Andrew Benson again became the leading scorer with 30 points to pace Yunnan Bulls for a 97-65 convincing victory over Beijing Ducks. Chen Zhaosheng added 16, while Jia Nan and Xiao Weiguo combined for 23 for the home side.

The Ducks had a poor shooting percentage, and Olumide Oyedeji scored only 13 points to become the top scorer of the visitors.

In the other year-ending games of the day, all home sides awarded their crowds a Happy New Year gift as Guangdong Hongyuan defeated Shandong Kingston 122-85, Fujian Xunxing celebrated an 87-84 narrow win over Henan Jigang while Bayi Deers outscored Shaanxi Kylins 118-99.

Source: Xinhua