On the evening of May 10, two CBA playoff Game 3 matchups concluded. Guangsha narrowly defeated Shanxi 86-81 on the road, leveling the series at 1-1. Meanwhile, Shenzhen edged past Zhejiang Chouzhou 95-91 to secure a 2-0 series victory and advance to the semifinals.
In the Guangsha vs. Shanxi series, the defending champions Guangsha lost by just 2 points at home in Game 1. Facing elimination today, they were again without star guard Sun Minghui due to injury. Hu Jinqiu, who missed a potential game-tying shot in the previous game, bounced back with 9 points and 5 assists in the first half. Brown, the primary offensive weapon, struggled from the field (2-of-8) but still managed 9 points and 2 assists in the second quarter thanks to 4-of-4 free throws, helping Guangsha take a 5-point lead into halftime.
After the break, both teams struggled offensively, particularly from beyond the arc, with Shanxi closing the gap to 2 points in the third quarter (14-12). In the final period, physical play intensified. Zhu Junlong nailed a crucial three-pointer, Tucker drew fouls on the perimeter, and Hu Jinqiu capitalized on offensive rebounds to extend Guangsha’s lead. Shanxi fought back in the closing moments, forcing turnovers and coming within a single basket, but Diallo missed two critical shots down the stretch. Guangsha held on for an 86-81 victory to tie the series.
Guangsha attempted 36 free throws, making 24. Brown shot just 3-of-15 from the field (1-of-7 from three) but made 12-of-14 free throws to finish with a team-high 19 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. Hu Jinqiu shot 8-of-13 for 17 points and 11 rebounds, while Tucker contributed 12 points, Zhu Junlong added 10 points with 3 three-pointers, and Zhao Jiaren chipped in 11. For Shanxi, only Ge Zhaobao scored in double figures (13 points). Diallo recorded 16 points and 7 rebounds on 5-of-12 shooting, while Zhang Ning added 13 points.
**Shenzhen Advances to Semifinals**
In the Shenzhen vs. Zhejiang matchup, Shenzhen withstood the pressure on the road to win 95-91, sweeping the series 2-0 and booking a spot in the semifinals. He Xining was named MVP of the game, shooting 7-of-12 (5-of-8 from three) for 23 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists. Smith struggled from the field (4-of-14) but recorded a triple-double with 14 points, 12 rebounds, and 13 assists. Johnson posted a double-double with 12 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 assists, and Wang Haoran went 8-of-12 for 19 points. For Zhejiang, Cheng Shuaipei scored 25 points and 3 rebounds, while Li Yuezhou added 15 points and 4 assists in a losing effort.
