Nanjing Monkey Kings reach CBA Playoffs for first time in team history

The Nanjing Monkey Kings rallied from a 17-point deficit to stun the Guangdong Southern Tigers 96-93 on the road in Dongguan, south China's Guangdong Province, on Tuesday, becoming the 12th and final team to qualify the upcoming Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) Playoffs.

Nanjing will play in its first-ever postseason series this spring, following the club's establishment in 2007, and entrance into the CBA ahead of the 2014-15 campaign.

Guangdong opened the first quarter with a 12-2 run and increased its advantage to a maximum of 17 points, at 29-12, as Du Runwang drilled two straight threes. But T.J. Leaf and Kendric Davis repeatedly charged into the home side's paint in the closing minutes of the period, which the visiting Monkey Kings finished trailing 34-21.

Liu Dong and Tian Yuheng both sank triples to help Nanjing cut the deficit to single digits early in the second quarter. The Southern Tigers counted on Du's triples and Darius Bazley's penetration to maintain a lead that averaged eight points for a while, but Wu Tingjia's triple and Davis' transition layup left the Monkey Kings trailing by just four points, 54-50, at halftime.

Guangdong fell into a scoring drought after Bazley made a three-pointer in the third quarter. Nanjing tied the score at 57-57 with a 7-0 run, and then surged into a 66-62 lead, thanks to six straight points by Davis and Leaf. Tian continued to knock down shots from the outside as well. The Monkey Kings held a 10-point advantage, 79-69, going into the final period.

The Southern Tigers turned to Hu Mingxuan and Du for multiple triples as the fourth quarter got underway, tying the score at 86-86. But Davis showcased some nice offensive dominance and poured in six points for Nanjing in the final two minutes. Guangdong suffered its 12th regular season loss after Ren Junfei missed what would have been a game-tying three-pointer.

In the night's other game, the Zhejiang Golden Bulls beat the Xinjiang Flying Tigers 116-103 at home to end the visiting side's three-game winning streak.

The 12 teams qualified for the CBA Playoffs are the Guangsha Lions, Shanxi Loongs, Xinjiang, Beijing Ducks, Shandong Kylins, Liaoning Flying Leopards, Guangdong, Shanghai Sharks, Qingdao Eagles, Zhejiang, Beikong Royal Fighters, and Nanjing. The final standings remain undetermined, with a handful of regular season games still on the schedule for each club.