The Guangsha Lions roared into the CBA Finals with a stunning 109-98 victory over the Liaoning Flying Leopards in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series in Shenyang. With the sweep, Guangsha ended Liaoning’s three-year championship reign and booked their spot in this season’s title showdown.
Hu Jinqiu led the charge with a game-high 36 points and 10 rebounds, while Barry Brown racked up 25 points, nine assists and four steals. Point guard Sun Minghui added 17 points and nine assists, giving the Lions a balanced attack that overwhelmed the Flying Leopards defense.
Despite five Liaoning players scoring in double digits, including a team-high 17 points from both Zhao Jiwei and Dez Wells, the Flying Leopards struggled on the boards (28-46) and in ball movement (18 assists to Guangsha’s 28).
The hosts jumped out to a 28-16 lead early in the first quarter, but Guangsha trimmed the gap to 33-26 by the break. A dominant 41-21 run in the second quarter flipped control completely as the Lions took a 67-54 cushion at halftime.
In the third quarter, physical defense slowed the pace, but Liaoning managed only 18 points, allowing Guangsha to stretch their lead to 93-72 heading into the final period. A late push by Liaoning fell short as the Lions closed out the series without surrendering a single game.
Next up, Guangsha will await the winner of the other semifinal series between the Beijing Ducks and the Shanxi Loongs. The Ducks lead that series 2-0 heading into Game 3 on Friday night.
Reference(s):
Guangsha Lions sweep past Liaoning Flying Leopards to reach CBA Finals
cgtn.com
