Zhejiang beats Beijing to tie CBA Finals (updated)

HANGZHOU, China, May 9 (Xinhua) -- The Zhejiang Lions edged the Beijing Ducks 103-96 at home on Friday, leveling the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) best-of-seven finals at 1-1.

"Tonight our players showed tremendous defensive discipline," said Zhejiang head coach Wang Bo.

"We executed our game plan effectively against Eugene German, limiting his offensive impact while maintaining strong containment on other key threats. This collective defensive focus allowed us to control the tempo throughout the game," he added.

Trailing by five points in the second quarter, Zhejiang staged an 11-0 run to take a 51-46 halftime lead. A 5-0 surge in the final quarter extended their advantage to 14 points with two minutes left, sealing the victory.

Barry Brown led Zhejiang with 31 points, six rebounds, and seven assists. Sun Minghui added 28 points and nine rebounds, while Hu Jinqiu contributed 21 points.

"After struggling physically and mentally in Game 1, I refocused 200% tonight," said Sun, who improved from a 5-point outing in the series opener to 11-of-18 shooting.

"The coaching staff and teammates kept encouraging me - that helped transform pressure into fuel from tip-off to buzzer," Sun added.

Wang Bo praised his floor general's tactical adjustment. "Sun stopped forcing three pointers and attacked the paint aggressively. His transition speed created openings for everyone," Wang said.

For Beijing, Eugene German scored 21 points, Nuni Omot had 15, and Zhou Qi posted a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Chen Yingjun chipped in 12 points and seven assists.

The series resumes with Game 3 on Sunday.  ■