China’s professional basketball league on Monday suspended the Shanghai Sharks and Jiangsu Dragons from the ongoing season and fined them 5 million yuan ($895,000) after they were accused of match-fixing.

The two teams faced off in a playoff match on the 14th, with the Sharks coming back in the final minutes to advance to the quarterfinals. However, the Dragons lost possession several times in the final minutes, and after the match, Chinese social media erupted with anger and suspicions of match fixing from fans. The Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) announced on the 15th that it would investigate the match in question.

According to state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV), the CBA did not use the word “match fixing” in its announcement, but decided on the sanctions after determining that both teams had shown “passive play” in their last two games.

According to CCTV, the head coaches and general managers of both teams will also be suspended for three to five years.

CBA chairman Yao Ming, a former NBA star who began his professional career with the Sharks, lamented a “sad weekend” in a video published by state news agency China News. “The more we talk about this, the more it hurts,” he said. (AFP)