2018 CBA Playoffs Quarter Final Review - Guangdong Southern Tigers vs Xinjiang Flying Tigers

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Arguably the most heated of the four semi-final ties, this series was a repeat of last year's CBA finals. The Xinjiang Flying Tigers were victorious back then, and were the underdogs as they were here. Could the sixths seeds cause another upset against the third-seeded Guangdong Southern Tigers, who were looking to enact revenge.

Guangdong came out firing against Xinjiang in game one, scoring 43 points in the first quarter and going on to lead by as much as 16. Guangdong’s starters all scored in double figures and put up all but 25 of their total points in the game. Meanwhile, Gen Li outshone for Xinjiang players with 26 points off the bench, while his team mate Andray Blatche had a double-double as did Yi Jianlian for Guangdong (21/11 and 26/10 respectively). It was all Guangdong in this one, though, as they get their playoff push underway with the best possible start. The final score in game one: 130-114.

It was much the same story in game two - an excellent scoring show from Guangdong saw them lead from start to finish. With 27 points in the game, the league's scoring leader Darius Adams did all he could for Xinjiang, as did Andray Blatche who had 31 points and 8 rebounds. Compared to Guangdong's scoring efforts, though, neither would be enough. Zhou Peng and Andrew Nicholson both had 23 points, and with 12 rebounds to go with his 14 points it was another double-double for Yi Jianlian. Guangdong win game two with a near-identical performance, winning by 123 points to 99, and were now on the brink of a semi final spot.

Game three was tighter early on, with the teams even at the end of ten minutes. From then on, though, Guangdong were back on form. The Southern Tigers were short-handed in this one, with only seven players suiting up, but their reduced depth did not hinder their performance. Andrew Nicholson led his team with 23 points, while Yi Jianlian made his third consecutive double-double with 22 points and 14 rebounds.

Down by nine at the end of three periods, Xinjiang responded with an explosive performance in the fourth quarter, where they scored 31 points. Andray Blatche led his team on both ends, finishing with 26 points and 16 total rebounds. Darius Adams put in a performance illustrative of his title of the league’s leading scorer, with 26 points of his own which included five three-pointers. Three points in the end would be the gap between the teams, as Xinjiang kept themselves alive with a close win, 95 points to 92.

Guangdong came out flying in game four, leading by 19 at the end of the first period. Xinjiang then looked to turn the game around with a sudden and dramatic improvement. Darius Adams had the best game for Xinjiang, scoring 30 points and putting on a good show on defence, but no one else on his team came near to a performance like his.

Xinjiang’s surge did not last long, and in the second half Guangdong re-asserted themselves. Donald Sloan went five-for-five from the three-point line on his way to leading the Tigers in scoring with 29 points, who also grabbing 10 rebounds. Andrew Nicholson also made a double-double (17 points, 12 rebounds) and Rui Zhao had 28 points of his own. Xinjiang's fans were heartbroken as they saw their team dispatched from the playoffs in their own house, with Guangdong winning 118-94.

Guangdong advance with a game to spare, while Xinjiang did not meet the expectations behind them and are now out of championship contention. Guangdong will face the winner of the Liaoning-Beijing tie, which took place concurrently to this quarter final series.

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