On May 12, the CBA playoffs continued with a decisive Game 3 between Beijing and Guangdong in the quarterfinals. Hosts Beijing mounted a stunning comeback, defeating Guangdong 88-73 to win the series 2-1 and advance to the semifinals, where they will face Shanghai. The victory was not just a reversal of the scoreline but a showcase of tactical resilience and collective willpower.
Guangdong started strong, with Hu Mingxuan hitting two buzzer-beating three-pointers and Quinn breaking through for tough baskets, giving the visitors a 21-15 lead after the first quarter. Beijing’s offense sputtered, with Jayman and McGee combining for just 1-of-10 shooting, and the team made only 4 of 20 field goals in the opening period. The real turning point came midway through the second quarter. With Guangdong leading 32-22 and riding high, Zhao Rui collided knees with Hu Mingxuan and went down in pain. Though Zhao returned after icing the injury, the incident disrupted Guangdong’s rhythm. Beijing head coach Xu Limin made a bold decision, benching the struggling McGee and Spellman in favor of a single-import lineup, which unexpectedly ignited the team’s defensive intensity.
Rather than relying on Zhou Qi’s inside play, Beijing used Jayman as the offensive hub, generating fluid drive-and-kick actions and perimeter connections. Zeng Fanbo emerged as the X-factor, coming off the bench to score 9 points on 2-of-3 three-point shooting, adding 2 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block, posting a +10 plus-minus in just 11 minutes. Jayman recorded three steals in the quarter, orchestrated the offense, drained three consecutive three-pointers, and combined with Zhou Qi’s put-back dunks and interior scoring to fuel an 18-0 run that erased Guangdong’s lead. Beijing took a 5-point advantage into halftime.
In the second half, Beijing maintained relentless defensive pressure. Zhou Qi dominated the paint on both ends, finishing with 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 blocks, overwhelming Guangdong’s interior trio of Salinger, Raković, and Wang Shaojie. In the third quarter, Zhai Xiaochuan and Jayman connected from deep, as Beijing won the period by 3 more points to stretch the lead to 8. In the final frame, Zeng Fanbo drew a shooting foul on Du Runwang and made all three free throws to push the advantage to 10. Chen Yingjun then converted mid-range jumpers and a three-pointer to seal the game, while Zhou Qi’s tip-ins and Jayman’s free throws snuffed out any hope of a Guangdong rally. Quinn scored 25 points but lacked support; Xu Jie finished with 0 points and was invisible throughout, as Guangdong’s offensive system crumbled under Beijing’s tight zone defense and relentless steals.
As the final buzzer sounded, Beijing demonstrated what playoff resilience truly means—coming back from the brink. They had no solitary superstar heroics, but a coordinated explosion from the entire roster. They didn’t rely on imports for one-on-one play, but executed precise tactical adjustments. Zhou Qi’s interior dominance, Jayman’s playmaking, and Zeng Fanbo’s clutch triples combined to form a textbook comeback. Guangdong’s 10-point lead ultimately became the stepping stone for Beijing’s advancement—and it all started with a seemingly minor substitution and was completed by an unyielding defensive effort.
Du Feng did what he could; winning one game at home was already a respectable achievement. On the road, even with a double-digit lead, the gap in overall strength proved too wide to overcome. Yet after declaring championship aspirations earlier in the season, failing to reach the semifinals leaves a bitter question: how will Du Feng answer to Guangdong’s fans?
