BEIJING, April 24 (Xinhua) -- The 2025-26 Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) regular season concluded on Friday with the Shanghai Sharks capping a dominant campaign with a 94-88 victory over the Shandong Heroes and securing a 23-game winning streak and the top seed for playoffs.
The Sharks played without key players Wang Zhelin and Li Hongquan due to injury. However, led by a strong performance from Kyle Fogg and Brandon Goodwin, Shanghai got the victory to match the longest winning streak in club history, a record set during their championship-winning 2001-02 season.
As Shanghai celebrated, the Sichuan Blue Whales' season ended on a somber note. A 104-81 loss to the Zhejiang Golden Bulls sealed a winless 0-42 campaign and extended their losing streak to 47 games across two seasons.
In another key matchup, defending champion Zhejiang Lions secured a 103-93 home victory over the Tianjin Pioneers. Five players scored in double figures for the Lions, led by Barry Brown's 30 points and 9 assists. The win solidified their second-place finish in the regular season.
Elsewhere, the Fujian Sturgeons edged the Guangdong Southern Tigers 93-91, the Ningbo Rockets defeated the Beijing Royal Fighters 94-78, the Shenzhen Aviators moved past the Guangzhou Loong Lions 99-86, the Liaoning Flying Leopards beat the Jiangsu Dragons 108-89, the Qingdao Eagles outscored the Xinjiang Flying Tigers 94-84, the Shanxi Loongs breezed past the Nanjing Monkey Kings 116-96, and the Beijing Ducks overwhelmed the Jilin Northeast Tigers 105-55.
The playoffs will start next Tuesday. The top four teams Shanghai, Zhejiang Lions, Shenzhen, and Beijing have earned a bye to the quarterfinals. The first round of the playoffs will see the following matchups: Guangdong vs Guangzhou, Zhejiang Golden Bulls vs Ningbo, Qingdao vs Shanxi, and Shandong vs Liaoning. ■
