Guangsha Lions derail Shandong to take 2-1 lead

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Guangsha Lions clinched a 98-90 victory over Shandong Hi-Speed to notch up a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven semifinals of 2017-2018 Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) playoffs in Jinan, capital of east China's Shandong Province, on Monday.

Courtney Fortson scored 13 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds, while Hu Jinqiu added 28 points to power Guangsha to their morale-boosting victory.

Shandong, who came to home court after a 1-1 draw in Zhejiang, failed to capitalize on the home advantage and after a very brief lead in the beginning, the hosts trailed till the end of the match.

Guangsha Lion’s players in action against Shandong Hi-Speed during a match in Jinan, China, April 2, 2018. /VCG Photo

Interestingly, Guangsha had more points in the first half, but Shandong scored more in the second half.

"We missed a lot of shots and free throws. Our opponents are the champions in regular season, and they played better than us in the first half," said Shandong coach Aleksandar Kesar.

Ding Yanyuhang of Shandong scored a game-high 36 points, 10 rebounds and two assists.

"We won the game because of players' effort and tight defense. Hope we can keep the winning streak," said Guangsha coach Li Chunjiang.

"We had only eight turnovers, half of that of Shandong. It is also to our advantage."

Guangsha claimed a 25-12 advantage in assists, and Fortson had 11.

Shandong will have two more home matches this week.