Hong Kong Bulls complete three-peat with Game 3 blowout, sweep Shanghai Xuanniao for third straight NBL title

The Hong Kong Bulls capped a dominant playoff run with a 99-72 demolition of the Shanghai Xuanniao at Kai Tak Sports Park on Monday night, completing a 3-0 sweep of the 2025-26 NBL Finals and claiming their third consecutive Chinese National Basketball League championship.

The Bulls were never troubled in the clincher, shooting 51.4 percent from the field and racking up 22 assists against just 13 turnovers in a balanced offensive display. Six players reached double figures as head coach Xie Libin's squad ran away from the league's newcomers in front of an electric home crowd.
Ponds Shamorie (185-G-1998, college: St.John's) led the way with a hyper-efficient 23 points on 9-of-12 shooting — including 8-of-10 from two-point range — to go with six rebounds in just 18 minutes. Jones Mason (193-G-1998, college: Arkansas) orchestrated the attack with 19 points, six rebounds, and a game-high 10 assists. Anosike E.J. (199-G/F-1998, college: CS Fullerton) posted a monster double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds (10 defensive) while shooting 5-of-6 from the floor and swatting three blocks.
Shanghai Xuanniao, the expansion side from China's commercial capital playing in their inaugural NBL season, simply had no answer for Hong Kong's size, athleticism, and experience. The Xuanniao shot just 42.6 percent from the field and were outrebounded 36-26 while committing 15 turnovers. Wilson Shemar (206-F-2001, college: UT Arlington) led Shanghai with 17 points and 10 rebounds.
The three-peat completes a remarkable rise for the Hong Kong-based franchise, which has established itself as the undisputed powerhouse of China's second-tier professional league. The Bulls had already demonstrated their quality earlier this season by defeating CBA clubs Nanjing Tongxi and Sichuan at the CBA Club Cup, fueling speculation about a future promotion-relegation mechanism between the CBA and NBL.
The Finals series was never competitive. The Bulls trailed by as many as 18 points in Game 1 in Shanghai before staging a remarkable comeback, capped by captain Dong Jian's catch-and-shoot buzzer-beating three-pointer with 2.8 seconds remaining for a stunning 79-76 road victory. Game 2 back at Kai Tak was a rout from the start, with the Bulls cruising 117-65 as Solomon Richard (208-C-1992, college: California) scored 28 points and Ponds and Anosike each added 23 in front of over 4,200 fans. Game 3 followed the same script, with Hong Kong pulling away early and never looking back.