BEIJING, May 22 (Xinhua) -- The Shanghai Sharks rallied past the Beijing Ducks 99-85 to clinch a 3-1 victory in the best-of-five Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) semifinals on Friday.
Shanghai, the regular-season champion, reached the final for the first time since 2002 when they defeated the Bayi Rockets 3-1 to secure their first-ever CBA championship.
Beijing had a strong performance during the first half to build a 51-35 lead, but Shanghai staged a 39-11 third-quarter rally, heading into the final period with a 12-point advantage. Shanghai expanded the lead to 16 points midway through the fourth and never looked back.
Kenneth Lofton Jr. scored 20 points, seven rebounds and six assists for Shanghai. Liu Zheng and Li Hongquan contributed 19 points and 17 points, respectively. Beijing struggled from beyond the arc, sinking only five of 25 three-pointers.
"We haven't been at our best throughout the series, just like in the first half of this game. The coach told us our problem isn't technical, it's mental. Thankfully, we got back to win the game," said Shanghai forward Liu.
Shanghai will face the winners between the Shenzhen Aviators and the Zhejiang Lions in the finals.
