Guangdong thrashes derby rival to reach CBA finals [CFP]

Defending champion Guangdong Dongguan Bank swept city rival Dongguan Marco Polo 3-0 after winning the third game of the semifinals of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) League by 129-117 on Friday.

After losing the second match with a margin of 59 points, Dongguan struggled to tail only four points after the first half.

Then former NBA player Smush Parker secured the victory for Guangdong. Parker made five three-point shots in the third quarter to make Guangdong a 20-point lead. Parker had a team-high 27 points, as well as seven rebounds, three steals and five assists.

Guangdong thrashed Dongguan 3-0 in last season's CBA semifinal and this victory gave them the 27th consecutive win, which broke the winning-streak record of 26 games kept by Xinjiang Guanghui. Guangdong also made their seventh straight appearance in the CBA finals.

Two teams made 68 fouls during the game and five players fouled out.

In the other matchup, home-sided Jiangsu Dragons defeated Xinjiang 108-104 in overtime to win their first game in the series. Xinjiang now leads with 2-1 and the fourth game will be played in Jiangsu's home court.

Donnell Harvey, Hu Xuefeng and Yi Li missed six of Jiangsu's final eight free-throws in the fourth quarter and almost be swept after Myron Allen made a three-point shot with 2.9 seconds to go. Then Xinjiang center Bateer made his sixth foul on Harvey, which also took himself out. Harvey made one of two free-throws to lead Jiangsu to the overtime.

In the overtime, Allen fouled out and Jiangsu finally made free-throws in to win the game. Harvey had a match-high 31 points, while Hu Xuefeng made 19 points, 11 assists to make Jiangsu alive from being eliminated.

(Xinhua News Agency April 18, 2009)