CBA Playoffs: Flying Leopards stay on course for title

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The series opener between Liaoning Flying Leopards and Beijing Ducks came down to the wire, before Han Dejun and his teammates managed to escape the Chinese capital's side with a one-point victory over the Ducks in the CBA, China's top basketball league.

The Flying Leopards hope their wafer-thin 92-91 win is the first step toward finally claiming some long-sought championship silverware.

Flying Leopards players celebrate a point against Ducks in Beijing. /VCG Photos

Seven of the CBA's original dozen teams have stayed in the league 23 years after its inception, including Beijing and Liaoning. But unlike the Ducks, the Flying Leopards have never won a title – much less three – a fact they hope to change by the end of this season.

“We desired to win the championship in recent seasons, but it’s really tough for us because some affairs happened in those years. Our coach and players hope to earn title without any issues off the court in CBA,” said Flying Leopards center Han Dejun.

Meanwhile, Leopards guard, Lester Hudson, is quietly confident: “Of course we think we have a chance, but we just got to stay focused, and keep believing in each other, and keep playing.”

Previously, Liaoning have fallen short in the finals on six occasions, meaning they hold the record for the most losses in the Championship Round. Liaoning had a month off since the end of the CBA's regular season, while the Beijing side will be coming out of a hard-won first round series against the Shanghai Sharks.

The Leopards are hoping to hastily shrug off inconsistent results against the Ducks, and move forward in their latest attempt to capture the elusive Mou Zuoyun Cup.

But despite showing flashes of their customary cohesion in the first quarter, Liaoning trailed by double digits in the second, before eventually getting into a better rhythm after halftime.

Lester Hudson of Liaoning Flying Leopards goes for the kill against Ducks on March 14. /VCG photos

Beijing Ducks guard Aaron Jackson said: “They started switching. They did a real good job of getting us away from our game, too, and we got a little complacent. We didn't keep attacking, and being aggressive, and that’s something that we can't do against a good team like this.”

Ducks forward Zhai Xiaochuan remarked: “We need to pinpoint what we did wrong in this game, as well as what we did right, and the best ways to attack our opponents. If we keep doing this, and reduce our turnovers, we will be fine."

Nevertheless, with Lester Hudson setting the tone, the Flying Leopards opened this best-of-five quarter-final series by rallying for a 92-91 road triumph over the Ducks, ahead of the action shifting to northeast China for the second and third games on Saturday and Monday.