In a thrilling Game 5 of the CBA Finals in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, the Beijing Ducks outlasted the Guangsha Lions 94-92 on Saturday, keeping their title hopes alive.
Eugene German spearheaded Beijing’s comeback with 21 points and nine assists, while center Zhou Qi dominated inside, finishing with 11 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks. The Ducks’ bench also made a statement, outscoring Guangsha’s reserves 41-19 thanks to a 14-point spark off the bench from Chen Ying-Chun.
Guangsha’s backcourt duo of Barry Brown and Hu Jinqiu put up big numbers, each scoring a game-high 27 points. Brown nearly recorded a triple-double with nine assists, and Hu pulled down 14 rebounds. Sun Minghui added 13 points but struggled from the field and committed three turnovers. Off the bench, Josh Carlton chipped in with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
The Ducks set the tone early with aggressive defense, forcing a turnover that led to a breakaway layup by German and sparking a 10-0 run to close the first quarter ahead 27-22. In the second quarter, Guangsha attacked the paint to tie the game at 44-44 before capitalizing on a series of Ducks’ turnovers to lead 52-47 at the break.
Beijing rallied in the third quarter, tying the game at 59-59 before pulling ahead 78-74 on three-pointers by Chen Ying-Chun and Lei Meng. In the final period, Hu’s late surge—including a game-tying three-pointer—kept the Lions within reach, but missed free throws by Sun and a critical block by German swung momentum back to Beijing.
With 10.2 seconds remaining, captain Zhai Xiaochuan sank two clutch free throws to make it 94-92. On Guangsha’s last possession, a tipped pass by Chen Ying-Chun sealed the win for the Ducks. Game 6 shifts to Beijing on Tuesday with the Ducks now trailing the series 3-2.
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Beijing Ducks edge Guangsha Lions 94-92 to stay in fight for CBA title
cgtn.com
