The final stage of the inaugural Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) Club Cup is heating up in Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi Province in northwest China. In Tuesday's matchup, the Xinjiang Flying Tigers triumphed over the Shanxi Loongs with a score of 105-89, advancing to the championship final.
Robert Edwards, who joined Xinjiang during the Lunar New Year break, delivered an impressive performance by scoring a team-high 29 points. In addition, Edwards grabbed six rebounds and distributed five assists, contributing significantly to his team's victory. On the opposing side, Shanxi's Hamidou Diallo, a former NBA slam dunk champion, led his team with a game-high 35 points.
The Flying Tigers established an early lead, finishing the first quarter ahead by nine points. However, the Shanxi Loongs, currently holding the second spot in the CBA regular season standings, rallied to tie the game at 54-54 by halftime.
Resume momentum in the third quarter saw Xinjiang embark on a 13-2 run, regaining a nine-point lead that Shanxi was unable to overcome for the remainder of the game.
Eight CBA teams have advanced to the final stage of the Club Cup, which features a single-elimination format. Notably, each quarter in the competition is shortened to 10 minutes instead of the usual 12 minutes. Teams are permitted to field up to four overseas players per contest, with a maximum of eight appearances across all games, although no more than two overseas players are allowed on the court at the same time.
It's important to note that CBA Club Cup games do not count towards the regular season standings.
The other semifinal game will see the Beijing Ducks face off against the Shanghai Sharks on Wednesday, setting the stage for the final match scheduled to take place on Saturday.
