Shanghai Huizhong got off to a flying start in the 2006-07 Chinese Basketball Association league with an 86-79 victory over visiting Fujian SBS.
The hosts, previously known as Shanghai Sharks, received a much-needed shot in the arm through a juicy sponsorship deal with the Nanjing-based air-conditioner maker Huizhong Electronics, which pledged 30-million yuan over three seasons.
The deal bailed Shanghai out of the perennial financial woes since the departure of marquee star Yao Ming in 2002 for the NBA and took team morale to new heights for the season-opener at Luwan Stadium last night.
Captain Liu Wei scored a team-high 20 points as field guard and grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds. Wang Yong added another 18 for the home side, which had a 17-point lead at 52-35 by the end of the second quarter.
Fujian, powered by the sharpshooting Gong Songlin, who led all players with 22 points, clawed back some lost ground in the second half but came up short despite a late surge.
Elsewhere yesterday, Xinjiang Guanghui beat Shandong Lions 117-106, Shaanxi Qilin upset Jiangsu Dragons 106-96, Liaoning Panda got past Beijing Ducks 111-100, Jiling Tigers outlasted Shanxi Zhongyu 122-108, and Yunnan Bulls fell to a catastrophic 62-101 loss to Zhejiang Horses. On Saturday, defending champion Guangdong Hongyuan beat Bayi Rockets 104-98.
