Guangsha Lions dominate Beijing Ducks to take 3-1 lead in CBA Finals

The Guangsha Lions beat the Beijing Ducks 106-73 in Game 4 of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) Finals in Beijing on Wednesday, extending their lead in the best-of-seven championship series to 3-1.

Guangsha dominated the hosts on both ends of the floor with six players scoring double-digit points, three starters and three reserves. Barry Brown and Lin Ping-Sheng shared the game high with 22 points apiece.

Only three players scored in double digits for Beijing, led by 13 from Chen Ying-Chun, who made just four of his 13 field goals. The team missed 43 of its 67 field goal attempts overall, including 24 of 28 from three-point range. The Ducks also committed 17 turnovers, just one fewer than their 18 assists.

Aggressive defense by the Lions contributed greatly to the home side's struggles in the opening quarter, as the hosts suffered through a six-minute scoring drought. Guangsha made good use of Beijing's offensive downturn with a 13-0 run, and finished the period with an 11-point advantage, 25-14.

Brown remained unstoppable on the offensive end in the second quarter, which started with a 9-2 run from the Lions. The Ducks trailed 50-30 with less than three minutes left.

Josh Carlton was taken out by Guangsha coach Wang Bo after committing his fourth personal foul, and Beijing responded by scoring five straight points in his absence. But Hu Jinqiu's three-pointer restored the visiting side's lead to 53-35 at halftime.

The Ducks' sloppy ball protection continued in the third quarter, and they kept allowing easy transition buckets by the Lions. After outscoring Beijing 29-17 in the period, Guangsha led 82-52, turning the result into a forgone conclusion.

The Lions will head home to Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, where they will host the Ducks in Game 5 on Saturday, needing just one win to claim the first league title in franchise history.