The Shenzhen Leopards defeated the Guangzhou Loong Lions 99-86 on the final night of the Chinese Basketball Association regular season on Friday, locking up the third seed for the upcoming CBA Playoffs.
Shenzhen Leopards players, coaches and staff members pose for a photo after defeating the Guangzhou Loong Lions in a Chinese Basketball Association game in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, to close out the CBA regular season, April 24, 2026. (Photo: Shenzhen Leopards)
Despite the home defeat, Guangzhou still advanced to the first round with the 12th and final seed after the Beijing Royal Fighters lost to the Ningbo Rockets 94-78 on the road, finishing in 13th place.
Terquavion Smith showed absolute dominance for the visitors, contributing a triple-double of 26 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists. Shenzhen finished the first quarter with a 20-point advantage, 35-15. Although the Loong Lions gave themselves chance to battle back with a 29-16 run in the third period, their rally was shut down in the closing frame.
MVP candidate He Xining sank seven three-pointers for Shenzhen, on his way to scoring a team-high 29 points. Lindell Wigginton led Guangzhou with a game-high 32 points to go along with seven assists.
The Loong Lions will meet the fifth-seeded Guangdong Southern Tigers in the first round, with the winning side advancing to take on the fourth-seeded Beijing Ducks in the quarterfinals.
Finishing third is the best regular season placing for the Leopards in franchise history. They received one of the four available byes into the last eight and now await the winner of the opening round series between the Zhejiang Golden Bulls and first-time postseason participant Ningbo.
Other pairings will see the Shandong Kylins clash with the Liaoning Flying Leopards with a matchup against the top-seeded Shanghai Sharks at stake. And defending champions the Guangsha Lions will meet the winner of the series pitting the Qingdao Eagles against the Shanxi Loongs.
Friday's other results (home teams listed first):
Fujian Sturgeons 93-91 Guangdong Southern Tigers
Jiangsu Dragons 89-108 Liaoning Flying Leopards
Qingdao Eagles 94-84 Xinjiang Flying Tigers
Shandong Kylins 88-94 Shanghai Sharks
Shanxi Loongs 116-96 Nanjing Monkey Kings
Beijing Ducks 105-55 Jilin Northeast Tigers
Sichuan Blue Whales 81-104 Zhejiang Golden Bulls
Guangsha Lions 103-93 Tianjin Pioneers