The Beijing Ducks overcame a gritty fourth-quarter surge from the Shanxi Loongs to claim a 106-99 victory on Thursday, securing a commanding 2-0 lead in their Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) semifinal series. The best-of-five clash saw the Ducks inch closer to their first Finals appearance in a decade, fueled by clutch performances and resilience despite injuries to key players.
Shanxi, seeded second, opened with momentum as Chen Pengyudi's early three-pointers electrified the home crowd. Beijing faced adversity when center Richard Solomon exited with an ankle injury, but Zhou Qi stepped up with agile post play, tallying 15 points and anchoring the defense. The Ducks led 52-46 at halftime, leveraging disciplined ball movement.
Chen Ying-Chun ignited Beijing's offense in the third quarter, scoring 10 quick points. However, the Ducks' momentum was briefly disrupted when forward Zeng Fanbo, this season's Most Improved Player, left the game following a hard fall. Shanxi capitalized, rallying in the final period behind Zhang Ning's 18 points and Hamidou Diallo's game-high 28.
With Shanxi cutting the deficit to single digits, Chen Ying-Chun delivered ice-clean three-pointers under pressure, sealing the win with a team-high 23 points. The victory sets up a potential series-clinching Game Three in Beijing on Friday, where the Ducks aim to return to the Finals after a decade-long absence.
