In today’s CBA playoff action, Beijing Shougang defeated Guangdong 88-73, winning the best-of-three series 2-1 to secure a spot in the semifinals.
**Guangdong’s Hot Three-Point Shooting Couldn’t Hide Beijing’s Superiority**
Guangdong’s overtime win at home in the previous game highlighted two key points: first, Beijing had some bad luck; second, it confirmed that Du Feng is a more experienced tactician than Xu Limin. Throughout that game, Beijing was consistently outcoached.
Guangdong’s entire strategy revolved around using three-point shooting and fast breaks to neutralize Beijing’s twin towers. Du Feng wisely gave unlimited shooting freedom to Quinn, who was on fire, and persisted with Zhang Haojia in overtime. In contrast, Xu Limin’s rotations remained chaotic and indecisive.
However, even with Guangdong hitting an astonishing 19 of 41 three-pointers, Beijing’s repeated missed opportunities—especially from Gem Man in regulation and overtime—showed they were actually the better team. Their loss stemmed partly from Quinn’s unstoppable performance and partly from their own tactical stubbornness.
**Zhao Rui’s Exit Unlocked Beijing’s Best Perimeter Play**
At the start of today’s game, Quinn and Hu Mingxuan continued their hot form from the previous match, and Guangdong quickly built a lead with three-pointers, putting immense pressure on Coach Xu.
Early in the second quarter, Lakošević scored multiple times against Zhou Qi in the paint, and Du Runwang’s corner three stretched Guangdong’s lead to double digits. Then came a pivotal moment: Zhao Rui was injured after Hu Mingxuan’s knee collided with his thigh. Unexpectedly, the forced introduction of Beijing’s two small foreign players sparked an 18-0 run that completely turned the game around.
Guangdong’s weakness was exposed by Beijing’s relentless pressure defense, fast breaks, and three-point shooting. By halftime, Beijing had seven steals to Guangdong’s one—a stat that told the whole story.
In the second half, Beijing continued to dominate both ends of the floor. Guangdong lost because their tight defense was broken by Beijing’s three-guard lineup, and their three-point shooting abandoned them. Quinn finished with 25 points but shot just 1-of-9 from beyond the arc—a microcosm of Guangdong’s struggles. Gem Man contributed a rock-solid 17 points and 10 assists.
After another thrilling chapter in the Beijing-Guangdong rivalry, fans were left wanting more. From the pandemic-era single-game elimination to this season’s best-of-three series, the CBA’s mismanagement of playoff formats was on full display. Hopefully, next season will feature more games in the postseason.