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SHANGHAI — The Los Angeles Lakers and the Brooklyn Nets tipped off on Thursday night in Shanghai in, undoubtedly, the most geopolitically important exhibition game in N.B.A. history. Yezi Zhang, a college student, was there, too, and her emotions were decidedly mixed.
Ms. Zhang, a 24-year-old from the city of Hangzhou, was among a few thousand Chinese fans who showed up at the Mercedes-Benz Arena despite the N.B.A.’s clash with the Chinese government. Beijing officials have put growing pressure on the N.B.A. to apologize after an executive at the Houston Rockets tweeted his support for pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.