In the CBA regular season, a strong matchup between Guangdong and Shanghai men's basketball teams took place. In their first encounter, Guangdong suffered a crushing 33-point defeat at home. For this rematch on the road, despite being in good form with a nine-game winning streak, the challenge of victory was significant. They needed to contain Lofton and open up their perimeter shooting to stand a chance, otherwise, revenge would be out of reach. Shanghai, who had previously experienced a two-game losing streak, found their rhythm with Lofton's return. They fielded their full starting lineup, determined to defend their home court and achieve a double kill over the eleven-time champions.
Guangdong's starting lineup: Xu Jie, Huang Rongqi, Du Runwang, Jilunwate, Morand; Shanghai's starting lineup: Wang Zhelin, Liu Zheng, Li Hongquan, Bradso, Lofton.
Guangdong seized the first attack, with Xu Jie scoring an easy basket. Lofton missed a fadeaway shot, but Xu Jie grabbed the rebound for a second-chance score. Bradso's forced shot also missed, followed by Huang Rongqi missing an opportunity. Lofton threw the ball out of bounds, and Morand broke through for a layup. Xu Jie stole from Wang Zhelin and assisted Du Runwang for a three-pointer, forcing Shanghai to call a timeout with Guangdong leading 9-0. Wang Zhelin dunked and then clashed with Morand, adding tension to the game.
Returning to the game, Huang Rongqi made a turnover, while Liu Zheng nailed a three-pointer. Huang Rongqi missed a driving layup, and Lofton's transition three-pointer also fell short. Morand struggled to score, but Li Hongquan responded with a fastbreak three-pointer. Du Runwang's layup was blocked by Wang Zhelin, who then scored on the follow-up, making it a 10-0 run. Xu Jie committed a traveling violation, and Wang Zhelin missed a three-pointer. Jilunwate ended Guangdong's scoring drought, but Lofton also turned the ball over. Morand missed a reverse layup, and Li Hongquan hit another three-pointer.
Xu Jie attempted a floater, and Lofton launched a fastbreak. Huang Rongqi made yet another turnover, which led to him being benched by Du Feng due to his poor performance. Lofton and Wang Zhelin continued to score, as Shanghai went on a 19-4 run. Wilson missed a three-pointer, but Bazley hit a buzzer-beating three. Jackson also missed a three-pointer, but Bazley aggressively attacked the basket. Wilson finally hit an open three-pointer, while Morand made another turnover. Li Hongquan added another three-pointer, giving Shanghai a seven-point lead.
Xu Jie was scolded by Du Feng and taken off the court, as Du Feng was dissatisfied with his performance. Xu Jie was frustrated, feeling unable to carry the team as he was constantly double-teamed. Lofton and Zhang Wenyi traded three-pointers, with Wilson hitting another buzzer-beater. Shanghai led Guangdong by eight points, showing their strength. Guangdong had too few scoring options, with only Xu Jie able to create offense.