The Liaoning Flying Leopards kicked off their Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) title defense with a thrilling 123-116 overtime victory against the Xinjiang Flying Tigers in Game 1 of their playoff quarterfinal series on Sunday in Shenyang, northeast China’s Liaoning Province.
Liaoning’s guard Zhao Jiwei delivered an outstanding performance, scoring a game-high 33 points, including eight three-pointers. Teammates Dez Wells and Cameron Oliver contributed 29 and 20 points respectively, with Wells sinking a clutch three-pointer in the final seconds of regulation to force overtime.
Despite a quieter night for forward Zhang Zhenlin, who scored nine points, his timely three-pointer in overtime sealed the victory for the three-time defending champions.
Xinjiang’s Dedric Lawson posted a double-double with 32 points and 13 rebounds. Abdusalam Abdurexit and Elfrat Muhan added 24 and 22 points respectively. Montrezl Harrell contributed 25 points, seven rebounds, and five assists before being ejected late in the third quarter.
The Flying Tigers started strong, leading 12-7 early in the first quarter, capitalizing on Lawson’s dominance in the paint. However, a scoring drought allowed Liaoning to surge ahead, finishing the quarter leading 30-19.
In the second quarter, Xinjiang battled back with aggressive drives from Harrell and Abdusalam, narrowing the gap to 47-45. Liaoning responded with timely three-pointers from Oliver and Yan Shouqi to maintain a 55-49 advantage at halftime.
Liaoning extended their lead to 65-52 in the third quarter but struggled offensively soon after. Xinjiang seized the opportunity, and despite Harrell’s ejection due to a second technical foul, the Flying Tigers edged ahead 77-76 entering the final period.
The fourth quarter saw both teams trading baskets, with Xinjiang holding a 109-106 lead with seconds remaining. After Xinjiang’s Zhu Xuhang missed two crucial free throws, Wells capitalized by draining a corner three-pointer to tie the game at 111-111, sending it into overtime.
In the extra session, Liaoning’s balanced offense overwhelmed Xinjiang, culminating in Zhang’s decisive three-pointer with 13 seconds left, securing the win for the defending champions.
“It was a tough game, but we showed our resilience,” said Zhao Jiwei after the game. “We need to maintain this momentum in the upcoming matches.”
Game 2 of the best-of-five series will take place in Shenyang on Tuesday.
In another quarterfinal match, the Guangsha Lions dominated the Qingdao Eagles with a 110-93 victory in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province. Barry Brown led the Lions with 31 points as they established a commanding 57-38 lead in the first half. Point guard Sun Minghui returned from injury, contributing four points and three assists in limited minutes.
Game 2 between Guangsha and Qingdao will also be held on Tuesday in Hangzhou.
