Sun Minghui remained sidelined, while Shanxi fielded their full starting lineup in this pivotal CBA playoff quarterfinal matchup. After losing Game 1 on the road to a last-second tip-in by Yu Miti, Guangsha faced elimination and needed to overcome their backcourt shortage to break Shanxi’s aggressive traps.
The first quarter turned into a physical battle. Ge Zhaobao opened with a three-pointer and a putback, while Hu Jinqiao scored easily on a cut. Jason Thompson converted a mid-range jumper, leaving the score at 7-9 midway through the period. Guangsha attacked the rim relentlessly, as Shanxi managed just 1-of-6 from beyond the arc in the first five minutes.
With rotations bringing in Zhang Ning and Nix, Guangsha head coach Wang Bo inserted Tucker. Hu Jinqiao grabbed an offensive rebound and scored, Tucker drew Yu Miti’s second foul on a fast break, and Zhang Ning immediately hit a three. Diallo drove for a foul, Zhao Jiaren knocked down two threes in transition, sparking a 10-3 run to build a six-point lead. Zhang Ning answered with a tough jumper and Jiao Hailong added a three, but Guangsha shot 4-of-4 from deep in the quarter to Shanxi’s 4-of-9. After the first, Shanxi trailed 21-25.
Diallo continued to lead in the second quarter, as Wang Bo deployed two small guards. Diallo spun past Hu Jinqiao for an and-one, Brown hit a three off the catch, and Zhang Ning failed to draw a foul on a split. Diallo threw down a fast-break dunk. Carlton returned, and Guangsha kept attacking the paint, drawing two quick fouls on Ge Zhaobao. The situation grew tense for Shanxi.
Midway, Hu Jinqiao posted up Jiao Hailong for a turnaround jumper, and Faye slammed a putback. At 6:24, Knight received a technical foul for arguing a baseline call. Zhang Ning broke the trap and hit Lin Bingsheng, drawing another foul. Lin drove straight to the rim, and Shanxi fell into a scoring drought with four turnovers in five minutes, as Guangsha’s lead swelled to 39-30.
Faye powered through Thompson for a layup, Zhao Jiaren and Jia Mingru each hit a three. Wang Bo called a cautious timeout but made no adjustments. Shanxi continued to trap Brown heavily in the second quarter, committing numerous fouls. Brown shot 2-of-4 from the field and 4-of-4 from the line, scoring nine points to guide Guangsha to a 46-38 halftime lead.
The two teams combined for 22 fouls in the first half. Guangsha shot 6-of-10 on threes, while Shanxi managed 6-of-17. Shanxi played disjointed offense but kept the deficit in single digits thanks to tough individual shots.
In the third quarter, Diallo and Jiao Hailong started. Guangsha missed their first two three-point attempts, Ge Zhaobao hit a mid-range jumper over Hu Jinqiao, and officials whistled Knight for a reaching foul, his third. At 8:22, Thompson bulled into Ge Zhaobao for two free throws, putting Ge also on three fouls. At 7:57, Jia Mingru was assessed a flagrant foul for grabbing Thompson unnecessarily.
Tensions escalated. At 6:22, Jiao Hailong bumped Thompson and conceded two more free throws. Guangsha rained free points from the stripe but struggled to extend the lead to double digits due to poor foul shooting.
The third quarter stretched to nearly 30 minutes, filled with fouls and free throws. Both teams shot poorly from the field, combining for just six made baskets in the period. Guangsha missed five straight shots on one possession despite grabbing four offensive rebounds.
Guangsha took 13 free throws in the quarter to Shanxi’s six (both teams missed all three-point attempts). Shanxi closed the gap to 55-58 thanks to a combined six points from Liu Chuanxing and Diallo.
In the fourth quarter, Liu Chuanxing started. Zhu Junlong hit Guangsha’s first three of the second half, and Tucker converted two of three free throws after drawing a foul on Nix. At 7:47, Liu Chuanxing hit a buzzer-beating floater off a broken play, emerging as Shanxi’s unexpected spark on offense.
But inexplicably, Pan Jiang pulled Liu Chuanxing while he was hot. Without him, Guangsha regained interior dominance. Hu Jinqiao scored four straight points in the paint, and Lin Bingsheng banked in a clutch baseline jumper. Ge Zhaobao responded with a bucket and two assists, connecting with Jiao Hailong to keep Shanxi afloat. Hu Jinqiao fought for an offensive rebound and scored again.
With Brown drawing eight free throws in three minutes and Zhu Junlong hitting his second three of the quarter, Guangsha pushed the lead to 81-71 with two minutes left. Pan Jiang finally inserted Diallo.
Zhang Ning and Jia Mingru hit two clutch threes to cut the deficit. Guangsha slowed the pace, Hu Jinqiao grabbed another offensive board and scored, and Brown drew two more free throws. Shanxi pressed full-court, forcing a crucial traveling violation from Lin Bingsheng with 33 seconds left. Diallo went to the line and made free throws, pulling Shanxi within three with 31.6 seconds remaining.
In a dramatic finish, Shanxi trapped Brown and forced a turnover, but Diallo missed a floater. Lin Bingsheng calmly sank two free throws on the ensuing intentional foul. Guangsha escaped with an 86-81 road victory, tying the series at 1-1.
**Postgame Analysis:**
This Game 2 was a war of attrition. The teams combined for 54 fouls and 65 free throws. Brown alone went 12-of-14 from the line. While Guangsha’s advantage at the stripe was decisive, Shanxi’s head coach Pan Jiang made questionable substitutions that cost his team the game.
Yu Miti and Knight were both ineffective for Shanxi, combining for just three points. Off the bench, Diallo, Zhang Ning, and Liu Chuanxing provided efficient scoring. Liu Chuanxing gave Shanxi a crucial interior presence in the third and early fourth quarters, but Pan Jiang inexplicably replaced him despite his hot hand. Ge Zhaobao, though effective offensively, could not match Liu’s defensive impact or rim protection.
Guangsha dominated the offensive glass, grabbing 18 rebounds, including 15 in the second half. Shanxi had a real chance to complete a comeback, but Pan Jiang’s ill-timed removal of Liu Chuanxing and delayed insertion of Diallo turned the tide.