Shanxi Advances Past Guangdong, Entering CBA Postseason Semifinals
The Shanxi Loongs secured a 124-106 victory against the Guangdong Southern Tigers in Game 3 of the Chinese Basketball Association playoff quarterfinals held in Dongguan, Guangdong Province on Saturday. This win completed a 3-0 series sweep...
TroibNews 
The Shanxi Loongs secured a 124-106 victory against the Guangdong Southern Tigers in Game 3 of the Chinese Basketball Association playoff quarterfinals held in Dongguan, Guangdong Province on Saturday. This win completed a 3-0 series sweep for Shanxi.
Shanxi will now advance to the semifinals, where they will face the winner of the matchup between the Beijing Ducks and the Beikong Royal Fighters.
Hamidou Diallo led Shanxi with a team-high 25 points and 12 rebounds, making 9 of his 16 field goal attempts in just under 25 minutes of play. Trey Kell III added 18 points off the bench, with five other players also reaching double-digit scoring for Shanxi.
On the Guangdong side, Trey Burk was the only starter to achieve over 10 points, scoring 15 points on 19 attempts, along with eight assists. The remaining four starters collectively scored just 21 points, which was fewer than Troy Gillenwater’s game-high 36 points off the bench.
Guangdong initially took a 5-0 lead, but Shanxi quickly turned the tide. Jia Mingru, Zhang Ning, and Diallo combined for four three-pointers, allowing Shanxi to take a 20-10 lead within six minutes of the first quarter. Gillenwater, Xu Jie, and Xu Xin attempted to bring the hosts back, narrowing the gap to 31-28 by the quarter's end.
In the second quarter, Guangdong's offense surged as Gillenwater hit two three-pointers, with Du Runwang and Hu Mingxuan also contributing from beyond the arc. This offensive resurgence helped the home team outscore Shanxi 40-35 in the quarter, taking a 68-66 lead into halftime.
Shanxi ramped up their defensive efforts at the start of the third quarter, while Kell III and Ge Zhaobao continued to find success from long range. A 25-13 run culminated in a 97-81 lead for Shanxi after Guangdong suffered five consecutive missed field goals. Although Darius Bazley eventually broke the scoring drought for Guangdong, the team faced a 103-87 deficit at the end of the quarter.
Xing Zhiqiang of Shanxi converted both of his three-point attempts in the fourth quarter, pushing the lead to 20 points at 118-98. Guangdong struggled to mount a comeback as the game drew to a close, resulting in the 11-time CBA champions being swept in the playoffs for the first time in three years. The quarterfinal exit also marked a tie for their worst postseason record in franchise history.
In another matchup, the Beijing Ducks edged out the Beikong Royal Fighters 105-102 in Game 3 of their series, taking a 2-1 lead.
Despite missing their injured stars Zhou Qi and Zeng Fanbo, the Ducks had no players score 20 points, but six teammates posted double digits. Richard Solomon recorded a double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds, along with three steals, while the entire team converted 16 of 32 three-pointers.
The Royal Fighters also had six players score in double figures, led by Shen Zijie's impressive 31 points, along with three steals and four blocks. Grant Riller added 20 points off the bench but missed a crucial game-tying three-pointer in the final moments.
Shen dominated early, making all 11 of his field goal attempts in the first three quarters for 24 points. However, Beijing outperformed them from three-point range and led 82-73 by the end of the third quarter.
As the fourth quarter began, Chen Ying-Chun added two more three-pointers before fouling out. The Royal Fighters took advantage of his absence to mount a comeback, yet Eugene German and Fan Ziming hit essential jumpers to maintain the lead. Shen’s dunk reduced the deficit to three points at 105-102 with 43 seconds remaining. Beikong forced a 24-second violation on their next possession, but Riller’s attempt to tie the game ultimately missed. His team will look to extend the series in Game 4 on Thursday.
Camille Lefevre for TROIB News
Shanxi will now advance to the semifinals, where they will face the winner of the matchup between the Beijing Ducks and the Beikong Royal Fighters.
Hamidou Diallo led Shanxi with a team-high 25 points and 12 rebounds, making 9 of his 16 field goal attempts in just under 25 minutes of play. Trey Kell III added 18 points off the bench, with five other players also reaching double-digit scoring for Shanxi.
On the Guangdong side, Trey Burk was the only starter to achieve over 10 points, scoring 15 points on 19 attempts, along with eight assists. The remaining four starters collectively scored just 21 points, which was fewer than Troy Gillenwater’s game-high 36 points off the bench.
Guangdong initially took a 5-0 lead, but Shanxi quickly turned the tide. Jia Mingru, Zhang Ning, and Diallo combined for four three-pointers, allowing Shanxi to take a 20-10 lead within six minutes of the first quarter. Gillenwater, Xu Jie, and Xu Xin attempted to bring the hosts back, narrowing the gap to 31-28 by the quarter's end.
In the second quarter, Guangdong's offense surged as Gillenwater hit two three-pointers, with Du Runwang and Hu Mingxuan also contributing from beyond the arc. This offensive resurgence helped the home team outscore Shanxi 40-35 in the quarter, taking a 68-66 lead into halftime.
Shanxi ramped up their defensive efforts at the start of the third quarter, while Kell III and Ge Zhaobao continued to find success from long range. A 25-13 run culminated in a 97-81 lead for Shanxi after Guangdong suffered five consecutive missed field goals. Although Darius Bazley eventually broke the scoring drought for Guangdong, the team faced a 103-87 deficit at the end of the quarter.
Xing Zhiqiang of Shanxi converted both of his three-point attempts in the fourth quarter, pushing the lead to 20 points at 118-98. Guangdong struggled to mount a comeback as the game drew to a close, resulting in the 11-time CBA champions being swept in the playoffs for the first time in three years. The quarterfinal exit also marked a tie for their worst postseason record in franchise history.
In another matchup, the Beijing Ducks edged out the Beikong Royal Fighters 105-102 in Game 3 of their series, taking a 2-1 lead.
Despite missing their injured stars Zhou Qi and Zeng Fanbo, the Ducks had no players score 20 points, but six teammates posted double digits. Richard Solomon recorded a double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds, along with three steals, while the entire team converted 16 of 32 three-pointers.
The Royal Fighters also had six players score in double figures, led by Shen Zijie's impressive 31 points, along with three steals and four blocks. Grant Riller added 20 points off the bench but missed a crucial game-tying three-pointer in the final moments.
Shen dominated early, making all 11 of his field goal attempts in the first three quarters for 24 points. However, Beijing outperformed them from three-point range and led 82-73 by the end of the third quarter.
As the fourth quarter began, Chen Ying-Chun added two more three-pointers before fouling out. The Royal Fighters took advantage of his absence to mount a comeback, yet Eugene German and Fan Ziming hit essential jumpers to maintain the lead. Shen’s dunk reduced the deficit to three points at 105-102 with 43 seconds remaining. Beikong forced a 24-second violation on their next possession, but Riller’s attempt to tie the game ultimately missed. His team will look to extend the series in Game 4 on Thursday.
Camille Lefevre for TROIB News
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