The Zhejiang Golden Bulls edged the Shandong Heroes 120-115 in overtime, while the Qingdao Eagles crushed the Jiangsu Dragons 112-69 in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) league on Monday.
Troy Gillenwater played a vital role for Shandong, with his performance from both inside and outside the paint helping his team stay in contention, while Gao Shiyan's six free throws in a row leveled the score at 108-108 in regular time.
Chen Peidong's fatal turnover in the last seconds of overtime cost Shandong an opportunity to catch Zhejiang, who sealed a narrow win.
Five Zhejiang players scored in double digits, led by Carlik Jones' 31 points. Gillenwater pocketed 37 points and 15 rebounds, while Gao contributed 24 points and 16 assists.
Elsewhere, Qingdao outscored Jiangsu 38-19 in the third quarter for an 88-57 lead, but promising center Yang Hansen struggled throughout the game and only notched six points and two rebounds.
"Some players have not been in their best condition recently. They were trying to regain their top form through the game," said Qingdao head coach Liu Weiwei.
In Monday's other game, the Shanghai Sharks beat the Guangzhou Loong Lions 104-97.