Guangsha Lions Advance to CBA Finals After Sweeping Liaoning Flying Leopards
The Guangsha Lions secured a 109-98 victory over the Liaoning Flying Leopards in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series during the Chinese Basketball Association Playoffs on Thursday in Shenyang, Liaoning Province. This win completed...
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The Guangsha Lions secured a 109-98 victory over the Liaoning Flying Leopards in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series during the Chinese Basketball Association Playoffs on Thursday in Shenyang, Liaoning Province. This win completed a 3-0 sweep, allowing the Lions to advance to this season's CBA Finals against the winner of the other semifinal matchup featuring the Beijing Ducks and Shanxi Loongs. The Ducks currently lead their series 2-0 ahead of Game 3, which will take place at home on Friday night.
In the decisive Game 3, the Lions were led in scoring by three players—Hu Jinqiu, Barry Brown, and Sun Minghui. Hu achieved a game-high 36 points along with 10 rebounds, while Brown contributed 25 points, nine assists, and four steals. Sun added 17 points and nine assists to the team’s effort.
The Flying Leopards managed to have five players score in double digits, but none reached the 20-point mark, with Zhao Jiwei and Dez Wells leading the team with 17 points each. The hosts faced significant disadvantages, getting outrebounded 46-28 and registering 10 fewer assists, finishing with 28 compared to Guangsha's 18.
Liaoning started strong, gaining an early advantage with Kyle Fogg’s two free throws, putting them ahead 28-16 with under three minutes remaining in the first quarter. However, Guangsha fought back, closing the gap to 33-26 by the end of the quarter.
In the second quarter, the Lions continued their momentum, outscoring the Flying Leopards 41-21 and taking a 67-54 lead into halftime. Hu, Brown, and Sun collectively contributed 49 of the team's points in the first half.
The third quarter became increasingly physical as both teams intensified their defensive efforts, but Liaoning struggled offensively, managing only 18 points in the period. The Lions extended their lead to 21 points, with a score of 93-72 heading into the final quarter.
Although Zhao and Wells tried to mount a comeback in the fourth quarter, the Flying Leopards were unable to close the gap. This defeat marked their third consecutive loss in the series, ending their pursuit of a fourth straight CBA championship and coming against a team they had previously defeated to secure titles in 2018 and 2022.
James del Carmen for TROIB News
In the decisive Game 3, the Lions were led in scoring by three players—Hu Jinqiu, Barry Brown, and Sun Minghui. Hu achieved a game-high 36 points along with 10 rebounds, while Brown contributed 25 points, nine assists, and four steals. Sun added 17 points and nine assists to the team’s effort.
The Flying Leopards managed to have five players score in double digits, but none reached the 20-point mark, with Zhao Jiwei and Dez Wells leading the team with 17 points each. The hosts faced significant disadvantages, getting outrebounded 46-28 and registering 10 fewer assists, finishing with 28 compared to Guangsha's 18.
Liaoning started strong, gaining an early advantage with Kyle Fogg’s two free throws, putting them ahead 28-16 with under three minutes remaining in the first quarter. However, Guangsha fought back, closing the gap to 33-26 by the end of the quarter.
In the second quarter, the Lions continued their momentum, outscoring the Flying Leopards 41-21 and taking a 67-54 lead into halftime. Hu, Brown, and Sun collectively contributed 49 of the team's points in the first half.
The third quarter became increasingly physical as both teams intensified their defensive efforts, but Liaoning struggled offensively, managing only 18 points in the period. The Lions extended their lead to 21 points, with a score of 93-72 heading into the final quarter.
Although Zhao and Wells tried to mount a comeback in the fourth quarter, the Flying Leopards were unable to close the gap. This defeat marked their third consecutive loss in the series, ending their pursuit of a fourth straight CBA championship and coming against a team they had previously defeated to secure titles in 2018 and 2022.
James del Carmen for TROIB News
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