In a fierce battle under high intensity from tip-off, Beijing attacked the paint relentlessly, while Guangdong suffered an early blow as Wang Shaojie picked up two quick fouls guarding Zhou Qi, forcing Du Feng to bring in Jiao Boqiao. Zhou Qi converted four free throws for three points early on, and Du Runwang hit a corner three with 7:03 left, followed by Quinn driving past Zhou Qi for a layup. Xu Jie picked up his second foul defending Chen Yingjun and went to the bench.
Guangdong was in the penalty with three minutes gone in the first quarter. Xu Limin brought in Zhao Rui and JaVale McGee early. McGee struggled at first, going 0-for-4, as Sullinger dominated inside. Hu Mingxuan hit two three-pointers and four free throws, combining with McCollum for 14 points. Guangdong shot 4-for-7 from three in the first quarter and led 21-15.
In the second quarter, Quinn scored four straight points against Zhou Qi, and Clayton added an easy cut. Chen Yingjun hit a three, but Rakocevic scored two tough layups against Zhou Qi and drew Ray’s second foul. Guangdong went on an 11-7 run to lead 32-22, prompting a Beijing timeout. Beijing struggled from the field, making just 6 of 26 shots at one point, though Zhou Qi was steady from the line.
With 4:50 left in the half, Zhao Rui collided knees with Hu Mingxuan while sprinting back on defense and had to be helped off the court. Surprisingly, Zhao’s injury sparked Beijing. Du Runwang was called for a flagrant foul on Zhou Qi, Clayton hit a three off his own miss, Zhang Haoyao grabbed a rebound and sent Beijing to the line again, and Zeng Fanbo hit a tough floater. Beijing went on a 7-0 run, and after a Hu Mingxuan turnover and a disputed call that wiped out a potential Xu Jie and-one, Clayton scored in transition and Ray hit a three. Beijing took a 35-32 lead at the half, outscoring Guangdong 25-14 in the second quarter, with Zeng Fanbo scoring 9 points in the half. Zhang Haoyao was a major negative for Guangdong.
The second half saw Sullinger, Hu Mingxuan, and Choi Yong-hee in the starting lineup for Guangdong. Quinn threw down a dunk off an assist from Lin Jie, then Zhai Xiaochuan and Clayton hit back-to-back threes. Quinn drew an and-one on a cut, but McGee continued to struggle against Sullinger, forcing Xu Limin to pull him again. Zhou Qi returned, and Beijing continued running pick-and-roll to challenge Sullinger. Beijing’s defense sagged off Sullinger, daring him to shoot threes, while Quinn drove the offense for Guangdong. Quinn scored 10 points in the quarter, Sullinger hit a key three, and Hu Mingxuan made a tough three as well. Beijing led 61-53 after three quarters as Guangdong shot just 2-for-10 from three in the quarter. McGee’s poor play kept Guangdong within striking distance.
In the fourth quarter, Wang Shaojie and Zhao Rui returned. Beijing stuck with McGee initially, but he immediately stepped on the baseline while posting up. Wang Shaojie drew a foul from McGee and made 1 of 2 free throws. McCollum hit a tough floater, Chen Yingjun banked in a mid-range jumper, Zhou Qi was fouled on a cut and hit two free throws, and McCollum fought for a tough layup. The game went back and forth, but Guangdong’s offense was too simplistic. McCollum drove relentlessly, while Beijing maintained control. With 6:40 left, Zeng Fanbo drew a three-shot foul on Du Runwang and made all three, putting Beijing up by 10. Du Feng finally brought Quinn back with 5:40 left, and Zhang Haoyao, after a poor game, hit his first three-pointer off a Quinn assist. Zeng Fanbo and Zhou Qi then connected for an easy bucket. With 4:52 left, Zhang Haoyao and Asik got into a scuffle and both received technical fouls.
Guangdong fought but couldn’t close the gap. Chen Yingjun hit a crucial corner three, and the referees called a foul on Quinn that sent Ray to the line, disrupting the flow. Guangdong’s three-point shooting and even free-throw percentage dropped. In the final two minutes, Clayton made two free throws in transition, Zeng Fanbo scored on a fast-break layup, and Beijing led 81-71. Du Feng put in Chen Jiazheng for a last-ditch effort, but Guangdong made just 1 of 4 three-point attempts in the final minutes. Ultimately, Guangdong fell 73-88, losing the series 2-1.
**Postgame Analysis:**
It was a disappointing end for Guangdong, but the result was not surprising given they were on the road and facing an unfavorable whistle. The decisive blow came in the second quarter, when Beijing went on an 18-0 run to erase an eight-point deficit and take the lead. Guangdong’s free-throw disparity (41-21 in Beijing’s favor) was a clear factor, as was their poor three-point shooting (8-for-31) after an excellent 19-for-41 performance in Game 2.
Despite the loss, Beijing secured two positive takeaways. First, Zhao Rui’s knee injury turned out to be a bruise, not a serious issue. Second, the pick-and-roll chemistry between Zhou Qi and Williams was impressive. Williams scored only 4 points but was a +14 in 15 minutes, anchoring the defense and creating space for Zhou Qi. Three Beijing players earned perfect marks: Zhou Qi with 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 blocks; Clayton with a triple-double of 17 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists; and Zeng Fanbo with 15 points off the bench on 6-of-8 shooting in 25 minutes. JaVale McGee was the glaring disappointment, finishing with 2 points on 0-for-6 shooting; his extended presence might have allowed Guangdong to come back.