BEIJING, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- In a dramatic 20th round of the 2024-2025 Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) season, the Beijing Ducks staged a stunning comeback to edge the Liaoning Flying Leopards 106-105, while the Xinjiang Flying Tigers narrowly defeated the Shandong Heroes 126-123 in another nail-biter.

The Ducks erased a 15-point first-quarter deficit on Friday to secure their third straight victory, thanks to a clutch fourth-quarter performance by off-season acquisition Chen Yingjun. Trailing 75-83 at the end of the third quarter, Beijing opened the final frame with a surge, highlighted by Chen's consecutive four points and a critical assist that gave the Ducks their first lead of the game at 84-83.

With 11 seconds remaining, Chen sank two free throws to extend Beijing's lead to 106-103. Liaoning's Kyle Fogg responded with two free throws of his own to narrow the gap, and a missed pair from Beijing's Fan Ziming left the door open for a potential game-winner.

However, Fogg's three-point attempt was emphatically blocked by Zeng Fanbo, sealing the road victory for the Ducks.

Chen, who was scoreless through three quarters, erupted for 11 points in the fourth and added a game-high nine assists. Fogg delivered a stellar 45-point performance for Liaoning in a losing effort, while Anunwa Omot contributed 26 points for Beijing.

In another top-tier clash, the Xinjiang Flying Tigers held off a last-second three-point attempt by the Shandong Heroes to claim a hard-fought 126-123 victory. The game was tightly contested throughout, with Xinjiang briefly pulling 123-116 ahead with two minutes remaining in the final quarter. Shandong's Chen Peidong trimmed the lead with a late three-pointer, but Xinjiang's Dedric Lawson responded with a layup to restore a seven-point cushion.

In the final seconds, Shandong clawed back to 126-123, and Xinjiang's Zhao Rui committed a backcourt violation. This mistake handed Shandong one last opportunity to tie the game. However, Chen Peidong's three-point attempt missed the mark, allowing the Flying Tigers to escape with the victory.

In another marquee match on Friday, the Zhejiang Lions defeated struggling 11-time champions the Guangdong Southern Tigers 113-107. The game remained tightly contested until the final five minutes when Zhejiang's Sun Minghui, Zhu Junlong, and Barry Brown combined for 14 crucial points to secure the victory.

Elsewhere, the pace-setting Shanxi Loongs cruised to a 125-116 victory over the Sichuan Blue Whales, the Zhejiang Golden Bulls beat the Beijing Royal Fighters 123-118, the Jiangsu Dragons lost to the Jilin Northeast Tigers 93-70, the Nanjing Monkey Kings edged past the Guangzhou Loong Lions 112-109, the Qingdao Eagles overcame the Tianjin Pioneers 103-100, the Shanghai Sharks won over the Fujian Sturgeons 120-101, and the Shenzhen Leopards dominated the Ningbo Rockets with a 139-100 victory. ■