Beikong Defeats Shandong, Moves to Quarterfinals in CBA Playoffs
The Beikong Royal Fighters secured a 93-84 victory over the Shandong Kylins in Game Two of their first round series in the Chinese Basketball Association Playoffs at home in Beijing on Tuesday, completing a 2-0 series win. With this victory,...
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The Beikong Royal Fighters secured a 93-84 victory over the Shandong Kylins in Game Two of their first round series in the Chinese Basketball Association Playoffs at home in Beijing on Tuesday, completing a 2-0 series win.
With this victory, the Royal Fighters move on to face the Beijing Ducks, their city rivals, in the quarterfinals of a best-of-five series.
Grant Riller was pivotal in Beikong's success, posting game highs of 24 points and eight assists. He, along with Liao Sanning and Shen Zijie, attacked Shandong's paint effectively, earning 13 free throws and converting 12 of them. Jared Sullinger contributed a double-double with 11 points and 14 rebounds, standing out as the only player in the game to reach double figures in rebounds.
Although the Royal Fighters struggled with their three-point shooting, missing 14 of their 21 attempts, Zhang Fan stood out by making four of six from beyond the arc, finishing the game with 16 points.
At the end of the first quarter, Beikong led 22-19 and extended their advantage to 19 points, 65-46, with just under two minutes remaining in the third quarter. The Kylins mounted a fierce comeback in the fourth, with Dallas Moore and Gao Shiyan leading the charge. After Gao assisted Xu Mengjun for a three-pointer, Shandong cut the deficit to five points, 89-84, with only 50 seconds left.
The Royal Fighters responded decisively with a jumper from Meng Zikai, and Shen intercepted Gao's wayward pass. Moore was forced to foul to stop the clock, leading to Riller making both free throws and securing the nine-point victory for the home team.
"Just a big series, man, this is kind of what you dream of, what you sign up for," Riller told CN Sports Scene's Damion Jones after the game. "Two Beijing teams get to battle it out in the playoffs, and only one can advance, man. So we know they're a good team, so we just gotta come out, do what we did in this series. Play tough, execute the game plan, and I always like our chances."
The defeat not only eliminated the Kylins from the playoffs but also marked their eighth consecutive postseason loss.
Olivia Brown for TROIB News
With this victory, the Royal Fighters move on to face the Beijing Ducks, their city rivals, in the quarterfinals of a best-of-five series.
Grant Riller was pivotal in Beikong's success, posting game highs of 24 points and eight assists. He, along with Liao Sanning and Shen Zijie, attacked Shandong's paint effectively, earning 13 free throws and converting 12 of them. Jared Sullinger contributed a double-double with 11 points and 14 rebounds, standing out as the only player in the game to reach double figures in rebounds.
Although the Royal Fighters struggled with their three-point shooting, missing 14 of their 21 attempts, Zhang Fan stood out by making four of six from beyond the arc, finishing the game with 16 points.
At the end of the first quarter, Beikong led 22-19 and extended their advantage to 19 points, 65-46, with just under two minutes remaining in the third quarter. The Kylins mounted a fierce comeback in the fourth, with Dallas Moore and Gao Shiyan leading the charge. After Gao assisted Xu Mengjun for a three-pointer, Shandong cut the deficit to five points, 89-84, with only 50 seconds left.
The Royal Fighters responded decisively with a jumper from Meng Zikai, and Shen intercepted Gao's wayward pass. Moore was forced to foul to stop the clock, leading to Riller making both free throws and securing the nine-point victory for the home team.
"Just a big series, man, this is kind of what you dream of, what you sign up for," Riller told CN Sports Scene's Damion Jones after the game. "Two Beijing teams get to battle it out in the playoffs, and only one can advance, man. So we know they're a good team, so we just gotta come out, do what we did in this series. Play tough, execute the game plan, and I always like our chances."
The defeat not only eliminated the Kylins from the playoffs but also marked their eighth consecutive postseason loss.
Olivia Brown for TROIB News
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