Liaoning wins third consecutive CBA championship

The Liaoning Flying Leopards achieved a 4-0 sweep in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) Finals after beating the Xinjiang Flying Tigers 104-95 in Game 4 on the road here on Wednesday, lifting the trophy for the third season in a row. Seven players scored double digits for Liaoning, while Fogg Kyle (191-G-1990, college: Arizona), who efficiently notched 12 points in his 16-minute playing time, was awarded the CBA Finals Most Valuable Player (FMVP). Jiwei Zhao (184-PG-1995) had 19 points and dished out 10 assists, XiaoXu Li (207-C-1990) took 13 points and eight rebounds, and Dejun Han (215-C-1987) added a double-double of 14 points and 12 rebounds. Wigginton Lindell (185-G-1998, college: Iowa St.) led Xinjiang with 25 points and seven assists, Wu Guanxi had nine points and 10 rebounds, and Qi Lin added 19 points. Abudurexiti Abudushalamu (203-SF-1996) played 42 minutes in the game, but only made four out of 13 attempts, contributing 10 points, six rebounds, and five assists. Facing Fogg's early foul trouble, Liaoning's head coach Ming Yang (193-G-1985) had to send newcomer Cooper Sharife (185-G-2001, college: Auburn) onto the court, and it turned out to be a smart move. Cooper showcased his offensive toolkits and had a good job finding teammates' wide opens as he clinched 22 points, six rebounds, and nine assists throughout the night. Combining Zhao's shooting and veteran center Han's efforts in the paint, Liaoning led the first half 53-47. The deficit was soon enlarged coming back from lockers, after a couple of ingenious connections between forwards Hao Fu (208-C-1997) and XiaoXu Li, and Liaoning carried a 12-point lead to enter the last 12 minutes. While it was too early for Xinjiang to give up, Creek Mitch (196-F/G-1992) subbed in and quickly nailed down two 3-pointers, followed by Caiyu Tang (197-SF-1997)'s two jumpers, igniting Xinjiang's late comeback. At the crucial moment, Ming Yang, who had been already received a technical foul in the first half, was given another due to six players standing on the court, resulting in his ejection. But later Xinjiang's offense stagnated, and Liaoning retook control led by Fogg to eye the time running out. The third straight championship adds the Flying Leopards' CBA trophies to four in total. For Xinjiang, it's their sixth appearance in the Finals, but they have yet to reach the peak.
Courtesy of: english.news.cn