Zhejiang crush Shanghai to reach CBA semis
The Zhejiang Golden Bulls secured their spot in the semifinals of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) league after thrashing the Shanghai Sharks 111-82 at home in the deciding Game 5 on Monday.
In the best-of-five semifinal, Zhejiang's opponent will be the Xinjiang Flying Tigers.
The game kicked off with Zhejiang linchpin Wu Qian orchestrating the offense, leading his team to a 9-0 run. This set the tone for Zhejiang's dominance throughout the game, although Shanghai, led by Eric Bledsoe, kept the score close. Zhejiang led 55-47 at halftime.
In the second half, Zhejiang forward Jarmar Gulley took control of the game, and Shanghai struggled to contain him effectively. Zhejiang entered the final quarter with a comfortable 14-point lead.
In the fourth quarter, Shanghai completely fell apart as Zhejiang unleashed a relentless 20-0 scoring run to seal the victory.
Six players scored in double figures, led by Gulley's 24 points, as Zhejiang eliminated Shanghai with a 3-2 victory in the series.
Zhejiang's progression meant the top four sides in the regular season have swept the semifinal berths, with the other semifinal pitting the Liaoning Flying Leopards against the Guangdong Southern Tigers. The semifinals will commence on Wednesday.