Earlier this week at the Dongguan Basketball Center on the Chinese mainland, co-hosts Guangdong and Zhejiang secured their places in the men's basketball final at China's 15th National Games.
In the first semifinal, Guangdong ran out to an early lead thanks to Wang Ruize, who opened the scoring with a layup for a four-point advantage. Zhao Rui added momentum with a deep three, extending the gap to nine. Later in the quarter, Zhao set up He Xining for a layup that pushed Guangdong ahead by 11.
The game took a worrying turn for defending champion Liaoning when star point guard Zhao Jiwei suffered a thigh injury and was forced out in the opening quarter. Despite a spirited comeback attempt after halftime—highlighted by Wu Changze’s three that cut the deficit to two—Guangdong kept the pressure on.
With one minute left in the third quarter, Xu Jie found He Xining for a corner three, and Du Runwang added another triple to seal the 92-73 victory. Guangdong’s balanced attack and depth proved too much for Liaoning, who held the title for the past two editions.
Meanwhile, Zhejiang also booked a spot in the final, rounding out a compelling title matchup between the two co-hosts. Fans now turn their eyes to the championship showdown, where both teams will vie for gold in a rare home advantage at the National Games.
Reference(s):
Guangdong, Zhejiang win men's basketball semifinals at National Games
cgtn.com
