By: Jay Yeomans

Published: December 20, 2018

Jimmer Fredette delivered one of the best bench performances you will ever see as the Shanghai Sharks outlasted the Nanjing Tongxi Monkey Kings 113-105 on Thursday.

Despite coming off the bench for the second game in a row, Fredette carried the Sharks on the offensive end, finishing with a game-high 47 points on 17-for-29 shooting from the field, including 6-for-12 from 3-point range and a perfect 7-for-7 from the foul line. He added a team-high nine assists, five rebounds and a pair of steals in 36 minutes.

Fredette got things going from the second he stepped on the floor as he scored seven quick points to turn an early six-point deficit into a one-point lead after the first quarter.

He was even better in the second, scoring 14 points as the Sharks put together a 35-point quarter to secure a seven-point lead heading into the break. Fredette was especially good with the game tied in the final minutes as he converted on a lay-up, found Luis Scola for an easy basket and drilled a 3-pointer to close the half on a 9-2 run.

While the 21-point first half for the former BYU star is what stood out, his ability to play the role of facilitator was also on full display as he found his teammates time after time for open shots on his way to seven assists.

Fredette ramped up the offensive pressure even more in the second half with 26 points, including 16 in the fourth quarter as the Sharks answered every run that the Monkey Kings made to hold on for the eight-point win.

After scoring the final basket of the third, Fredette provided a huge spark early in the fourth with seven quick points as the Sharks extended the lead to 13.

The Monkey Kings countered with a 12-2 run, mostly with Fredette resting on the bench, to cut the deficit to 100-98 before Jimmer returned to the floor and put the game away with seven of Shanghai’s last 13 points.

The victory snapped a two-game losing streak for the Sharks who improved to 14-8 on the season.

Scola also had a solid night for Shanghai, registering 19 points on 50 percent shooting from the floor to go along with a game-high 13 rebounds and four assists in 35 minutes. Luo Hanchen played a key role as well, totaling 12 points, eight assists and four rebounds.

Joe Young paced the Monkey Kings in the loss with 31 points on 14-for-28 shooting from the field while adding 10 rebounds and five assists. Feng Xin added a terrific performance of his own, recording 21 points on the strength of 5-for-5 shooting from beyond the arc while handing out a game-high 13 assists.

On the season, Fredette is third in the league in scoring, averaging 38 points a game on 48.5 percent shooting from the field, 42.9 percent from 3-point land and 94.2 percent from the foul line. He also chips in with 6.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 3.4 steals in 40.9 minutes.

Up next for Fredette and the Sharks is a two-day break before a matchup with the Fujian Sturgeons who are just one game behind Shanghai in the CBA standings. The Sturgeons are led be former NBA big man Andrew Nicholson who is averaging 28 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 36.7 minutes. Pooh Jeter also plays an important role for the Sturgeons, averaging 23.4 points, 6.3 assists and 5.0 rebounds in his seventh year in the league.

Inside the numbers

• The 47 points was Fredette’s fourth highest scoring game of the season and the eighth time this year he has scored 40 or more points in a game.
• His nine assists ties a season high and the most since the third game of the season when he handed out nine helpers in a 104-91 win over Liaoning.
• The 36 minutes of floor time by Fredette were his second lowest minute total of the season.