Red-hot Golden Bulls book semifinal clash with Liaoning
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E-mail Xinhua, April 20, 2021
It was raining threes on Monday as the Zhejiang Golden Bulls smashed the Qingdao Eagles 111-98 to book a semifinal clash with the Liaoning Flying Leopards, who beat the Zhejiang Lions 105-98 in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) playoffs.
The Golden Bulls sank 19 three-pointers, more than enough for them to grab the win given that Qingdao only managed two. The third seed set the tune for the match early in a 31-17 first quarter and never looked back, enjoying its biggest lead of 36 points at the end of the third quarter.
Wu Qian, who lifted his regular season MVP trophy ahead of the game, proved his worth with a game-high 36 points and 12 assists. Lu Wenbo, who made no field goal attempts throughout the match, added 24 points, shooting eight-of-11 beyond the arc. Darius Adams was the most prolific player for Qingdao, snatching 31 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.
"We set off to a good start and executed the tactics well on the court. I think we were more prepared and confident compared with our opponents. Our hard work in training finally paid off," Wu said. "But now we need to keep calm and prepare for the semifinal."
This is the first time for the Golden Bulls to make it to the last four, and coach Liu Weiwei thanked his players for the breakthrough.
"I'm so happy that we are able to make history. My players have been training very hard, and I have been tough with them all the time. Here I want to thank them, and thank the audience that cheered for us," Liu told a press conference.
In the other quarterfinal on Monday, Liaoning managed a comeback win 105-98 over the Zhejiang Lions, with five players scoring double digits.
With Kay Felder spearheading the attacking charge in the first half, the Lions enjoyed a 52-44 advantage over title favorites the Flying Leopards, who relied on 15 points from Zhao Jiwei when their star guard Guo Ailun struggled to score.
After the restart, the 2018 CBA champion reversed its fortune with a 10-0 run in the last two minutes of the third period, thanks to center Zhu Zhenrong's solid performance inside the paint and on the freethrow line.
The Lions closed the gap to two points at 86-84 midway in the last quarter, only to see Kyle Fogg score five consecutive points in Liaoning's 9-0 sprint that secured their eventual victory.
Zhao nailed a team-high 21 points, followed by 19 from Fogg. Felder had 27 points for the Lions. Hu Jinqiu added 23 points and 12 rebounds.
"It's typical victory of team basketball. I hope we can carry momentum and perform well in the following matches," said Liaoning coach Yang Ming.
The best-of-three CBA semifinals will start on Tuesday with defending champion the Guangdong Southern Tigers taking on the Shandong Heroes. The other final ticket will go to the winner of the tie between Liaoning and the Zhejiang Golden Bulls.
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