Beijing Ducks hold off Shanxi Loongs for 2-0 lead in CBA Playoffs semifinal series

The Beijing Ducks weathered a fourth-quarter storm of resistance from the Shanxi Loongs to claim a 106-99 victory on the road, grabbing a 2-0 lead in their best-of-five semifinal series in the CBA Playoffs. Second-seeded Shanxi had already dropped Game One by a 102-94 margin, and now finds itself on the verge of elimination.

The Loongs started the game with a flourish, as Chen Pengyudi sank a couple of three-pointers to give the hosts an early lead. Beijing then endured a significant blow when center Richard Solomon twisted his ankle in the first quarter and made an early exit.

Stepping into the breach, Zhou Qi showcased deft footwork inside, contributing two of his 15 points and anchoring the Ducks in the paint, helping the visitors jump out to a six-point lead at halftime.

The Ducks pressed their advantage after the break, with Chen Ying-Chun contributing a 10-point barrage in the third quarter to help the third seeds maintain a comfortable lead. But misfortune struck again when forward Zeng Fanbo, this season's CBA Most Improved Player, took a hard fall after a layup and was unable to return to the game.

Shanxi mounted a spirited comeback in the final quarter. After Zhang Ning knocked down three triples en route to 18 points, the Loongs trailed 90-79. Hamidou Diallo's bucket-and-one then trimmed the margin to single digits on his way to ending the night with a game-high 28 points.

But Chen kept Beijing in front, calmly beating the shot clock with three triples in the final period to finish with a team-high 23 points.

In the end, the road team's resilience and timely shooting secured a seven-point win, leaving the three-time champions just one victory from their first trip to the CBA Finals in 10 years. The Ducks will host Game Three on Friday.