Zhu Mingzhen (Front R) of the Guangzhou Loong Lions celebrates with his teammate Jia Mingru during their playoff match against the Shanxi Loongs in Nanchang, east China's Jiangxi Province on April 3, 2022. (Xinhua/Zhou Mi)
The Guangzhou Loong Lions snatch a historic CBA playoff win, while defending champions the Guangdong Southern Tigers have reached the last eight.
NANCHANG, China, April 3 (Xinhua) -- The Guangzhou Loong Lions bagged a hard-fought 106-95 win over the Shanxi Loongs for their first victory in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) playoffs here on Sunday.
Defending champions the Guangdong Southern Tigers advanced to the final eight after claiming a convincing 122-104 win over the Tianjin Pioneers to cap the best-of-three first round 2-0.
After their historic win, Guangzhou leveled their tie at 1-1. Chen Ying-Chun scored a match-leading 27 points for Guangzhou, while his teammate Ty Jacob Leaf contributed 24 points and 14 rebounds.
The game involved a lot of physical contact as Guangzhou kept pouring on pressure on the defensive end, restricting Shanxi to shooting merely 31.9 percent from the field, the team's lowest shooting percentage in the playoffs.
Shanxi led 28-26 in the first quarter with their paint attacks after Guangzhou blitzed an 11-2 burst by making consecutive three-pointers. Yuan Shuai, making five of 10 from three-point range, led Shanxi to establish a four-point half-time lead.
Guangzhou brought their defense to another level in the second half as they continued to force opponents to make tough shots. Led by Chen who drew a foul from downtown and scored a stunning layup, Guangzhou turned the tide in the final minutes to hold off their opponents.
The two sides will meet again next Tuesday for a place in the final eight.
Kenny Boynton (2nd L) of the Tianjin Pioneers goes for a basket against the Guangdong Southern Tigers on April 3, 2022. (Xinhua/Zhou Mi)
Led by Zhou Peng who shot 11 of 13 to tally 23 points, Guangdong had six players in double figures. Kenny Boynton of Tianjin scored a game-high 25 points, while shooting nine of 23.
Guangdong showcased their aggressiveness through a 13-2 run, ending the first period 37-17 ahead.
Led by Boynton who scored 10 consecutive points, Tianjin pulled themselves together in the second quarter, but Guangdong made the game lopsided by maintaining a double-digit lead afterward. ■
