The Liaoning Flying Leopards defeated the Xinjiang Flying Tigers 123-116 in overtime in Game 1 of their Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) Playoffs quarterfinal series at home in Shenyang, northeast China's Liaoning Province, on Sunday, leading 1-0 in the best-of-five matchup.Liaoning guard Zhao Jiwei shot 11-for-17 from the field, including eight three-pointers, to score a game-high 33 points.
His teammates Dez Wells and Cameron Oliver added 29 and 20 points, respectively, with Wells draining a game-tying three-pointer to send the contest into overtime.Small forward Zhang Zhenlin finished with just nine points, but sank his second shot from downtown during the extra session to clinch the win for the three-time defending champions.Four players surpassed 20 points for Xinjiang.
Dedric Lawson tallied a double-double of 32 points and 13 rebounds, both team highs.
Abdusalam Abdurexit and Elfuratt Mohetaner added 24 and 22 points, respectively.
Montrezl Harrell contributed 25 points, seven rebounds, and five assists in 26 minutes, before getting ejected late in the third quarter.The visitors got off to a good start and led 12-7 just five minutes into the first quarter, thanks in large part to Lawson's inside play.
They soon fell into a two-minute scoring drought, however, while the hosts went on an 11-2 run.
The Flying Leopards finished the period on top 30-19.Harrell and Abdusalam began to charge the rim with more ferocity in the second quarter, while Lawson kept causing trouble behind the arc.
The Flying Tigers cut the deficit to two points at 47-45.But Oliver and Yan Shouqi added triples to help the reigning titleholders stay ahead 55-49 at halftime.Liaoning opened the third quarter with a 10-3 run to increase their advantage to double-digits at 65-52.
But they struggled to make shots afterwards, and only netted three points over a stretch of five minutes.
Although Harrell was ejected with his second technical foul near the end of the quarter, Xinjiang surged from behind to take a 77-76 lead going into the final period.Abdusalam was joined by Elfuratt in attacking the rack to keep the Flying Tigers on top in the fourth quarter.
The Flying Leopards stayed within striking distance as Zhao and Wells kept nailing three-pointers.Xinjiang led 109-106 with less than 10 seconds to go, but Zhu Xuhang missed two free throws, leaving a final window of hope for Liaoning.
Wells took advantage by knocking down a corner triple off an inbounds pass to level the contest at 111-111 and send things to overtime.The Flying Tigers made only two field goals in the extra session while the Flying Leopards got offensive contributions from four different players.
Zhao set up Zhang for a three with 13 remaining to seal the deal for the defending champions, as they started their postseason campaign with a dramatic victory.Game 2 will take place in Shenyang on Tuesday.In the night's other contest, regular season leaders the Guangsha Lions cruised past the Qingdao Eagles 110-93 in Game 1 of their series at home in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province.
Barry Brown poured in a game-high 31 points as the hosts jumped out to a 57-38 lead in the first half, and the result was a foregone conclusion in the final two quarters.Guangsha point guard Sun Minghui returned from a heel injury, but played just 13 minutes, contributing four points and three assists.Game 2 will be held in Hangzhou on Tuesday.