Yao Ming Leads Shanghai to Their First CBA Title

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Saturday, April 20, 2002

Yao Ming Leads Shanghai to Their First CBA Title

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Yao Ming Leads Shanghai to Their First CBA Title

Chinese promising super star Yao Ming won his first title in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) league Friday night when Shanghai Sharks disposed off six time defending champion Bayi Rockets 123-122 on the road.

American guard Steven Hart became the hero of the night as he tipped in the game-winning basket with 1.1 seconds left on the clock, and Liu Yudong's long shot from the back court did not connect on the board as the time running out.

Liu, who scored a game high 49 points tonight at home, made a go-ahead 3-pointer with 7.6 seconds to go at 122-121. Shanghai coach Li Qiuping called a time-out for their last attack, Sharks' point guard Liu Wei threw in to Zhang Wenqi, who passed the ball to the 2.25-meter tall Yao Ming inside.

Yao's jumper bounced off the basket and David Benoit missed thefollowing tip-in before Hart stepped in for the winner.

Shanghai Shark Wins Its First CBA Title

"I'm so excited. I got the winning basket for Shanghai," Hart said after the fourth game of the best-of-five finals. "I knew it would be a tough game. I'm ready for any shots if I'm needed in the match."

"I was not worried when I missed the tip-in because I knew Steven was behind me," said Benoit, former Utah Jazz's power forward. "Now I helped Yao win the title. I hope he could go to the NBA."

Yao said before the finals that he would go to join the NBA until he wins the domestic league title for Shanghai. "I promised someone before I came here that I would win the title for her in Ningbo. You know, I won't eat up my word."

The 32-year-old veteran Liu, who averaged 41.5 points in the finals, went out of the stadium directly instead of going back to the locker room after Hart's winning basket.

That basket stops Rockets' 65 consecutive home winning record and offers the title for Shanghai the first time after the Rocketspocketing all the first six titles since the league was launched in 1995.

After winning the past two home matches in Shanghai to lead theseries by 2-1, Shanghai held the control of the match for the mostof the time Friday night, but never got away as far as more than 10-point lead.

Yao scored 44 points and grabbed 21 rebounds in his would-be last game in the CBA after he and Shanghai won twice runners-up next to Bayi in the past two seasons. He is expected to announce his availability for the NBA after the finals and goes to America later this month.

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Yao Ming Helps Sharks Topple Rockets in CBA Finals

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