By: Jay Yeomans

Published: January 22, 2019

Jimmer Fredette had another strong offensive showing, but it couldn’t carry the Sharks over the hump as the Shanghai Sharks dropped a 110-108 heart breaker to Ty Lawson and the Shandong Golden Stars on Tuesday.

Fredette carried the Sharks offense, like so many times before, finishing with a game-high 41 points on 13-for-23 shooting from the field, including a blistering 7-for-13 from beyond the arc and 8-for-8 from the foul line. He added a team-best five assists, three boards, a steal and a block in 38 minutes on the floor.

It was the ninth loss in 10 games for the Sharks who have struggled to get stops in key moments, and Tuesday was no different as the Golden Stars scored in the final seconds to secure the win.

Ty Lawson led the way for Shandong with 33 points on 13-for-22 shooting from the field to go along with eight assists and five rebounds in 34 minutes. Donatas Motiejunas also had a big night, registering 27 points, 12 rebounds, and four assists in 37 minutes.

Luo Hanchen provided an offensive spark for the faltering Sharks, totaling 21 points on the strength of 50 percent shooting from beyond the arc. Luis Scola chipped in with 16 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists in 33 minutes off the bench while Zhang Zhaoxu added a double-double of his own with 11 points and 11 rebounds.

With only 12 games remaining, the Sharks have slipped into a tie for the final playoff spot and are in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time since Fredette arrived in Shanghai.

Despite the team’s struggles of late, Fredette is having a remarkable campaign, averaging career highs in points, assists, steals, field goal percentage and 3-point percentage. In 32 games, he is second in the CBA in scoring, averaging 37.7 points a night on 53 percent shooting from inside the arc, 42 percent from 3-point range and 95 percent from the foul line. He also chips in with 5.8 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 2.9 steals in 40.2 minutes.

Inside the numbers

• Fredette went perfect from the foul line for the 20th time this season and has missed just 13 free throws all year.
• Fredette scored 40 points or more for his third straight game and the 13th time this season.
• In his last three games, Jimmer has stepped it up on the offensive end (if that’s possible), averaging 42.3 points on 56.4 percent shooting from inside the arc and 51.2 percent from 3-point land.
• With seven more triples, Fredette has now connected on 162 shots 3-point shots this season. He has 22 games with at least five make from beyond the arc.

Up next for Fredette and the Sharks is a battle with the Sichuan Blue Whales who are 8-25 on the season after snapping a nine-game losing streak on Tuesday with a 121-112 win over the Qingdao Eagles.

Two key players for the Blue Whales are Jamaal Franklin and Jason Thompson. Franklin put up a crazy stat line in the win over Qingdao, finishing with 51 points, 18 rebounds, 13 assists, and three blocks. Through 33 games, he is averaging 32.9 points, 10.2 rebounds, 7.8 assists, and 2.5 steals in 42.8 minutes.

As for Thompson, who played with Jimmer in Sacramento, he is averaging 22.6 points, 13.9 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in 38.4 minutes a night.