SHENZHEN, May 23 (Xinhua) -- A third-quarter shooting spree powered the Zhejiang Lions to a 97-88 victory over the Shenzhen Aviators in Game 4 of the best-of-five Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) semifinal series on Saturday, as Zhejiang clinched the series 3-1 to book a place in the finals.
Facing elimination and missing injured core guard Terquavion Smith, Shenzhen came out with urgency from the opening tip. Led by Josh Christopher's 12-point first quarter, the hosts built a 21-14 lead by the end of the opening period.
Shenzhen continued to battle fiercely in the second quarter, relying on Ibou Badji's rim protection and the aggressive drives of He Xining and Wang Haoran to trade blows with Zhejiang, who welcomed back star guard Sun Minghui from injury.
The turning point came in the third quarter, when Zhejiang suddenly caught fire from beyond the arc. The Lions knocked down six three-pointers in the quarter and outscored Shenzhen by 14 points to seize control of the game.
Rayjon Tucker scored a game-high 28 points for Zhejiang, while Barry Brown Jr. added 25 points. For Shenzhen, Christopher finished with a team-high 24 points, nine rebounds and six assists, and Wang Haoran contributed 17 points and seven rebounds.
Zhejiang will face the Shanghai Sharks in the CBA finals, which will follow a best-of-seven format. Game 1 is scheduled to be played in Shanghai on May 26. ■
