BEIJING, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- Shanghai Sharks small forward Li Hongquan and Nanjing Monkey Kings power forward Ty Leaf have been named the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) Players of the Month, the league announced on Tuesday.
From the 25th to the 35th round of the regular season, Li helped Shanghai win eight of 10 matches he played, averaging 19.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 36 minutes of playing time per game. The third-year forward also nailed 4.1 three-pointers per game with an impressive shooting percentage of 51.3% during that stretch. Li's brilliant performances recently earned him a call-up in the Chinese national training team.
Shanghai currently ranks 11th in the 20-team CBA standings with a 20-12 record.
Leaf posted an all-around average of 24.9 points, 13.2 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 2.7 steals, and 1.8 blocks in nine games played in January, shooting 63.3% from the field. He recorded seven double-doubles as Nanjing won five of those nine games.
Nanjing holds a 17-18 record, sitting one place below Shanghai in the standings, and is on track for its first playoff appearance in franchise history. ■