In Game 3 of the CBA semifinals, Guangdong and
Liaoning
The matchup was a close one. Each team won the first two games to bring the series to a 1-1 tie.
Guangdong started the game with a 5-0 start to take the lead, while Liaoning kept catching up with the score but never managed to overtake it. In a see-saw battle, Guangdong seized the opportunity to score consecutive points, realizing a 17-8 run at the end of the first quarter and the beginning of the second quarter to establish a double-digit lead. However, Liaoning turned the tide in the latter part of the first half, with Fu Hao's outstanding performance helping his team to get back to within three points.
At the beginning of the second half, Guangdong once again took the upper hand, with Hu Mingxuan and Xu Jie's excellent play helping the team to open up the score difference. Despite Liaoning's efforts to catch up, the huge deficit made them look more and more impatient. Early in the fourth quarter, Liaoning's skipper Yang Ming received a technical foul for dissatisfaction with the penalty, while Guangdong opened the gap with an 8-1 run. In the face of Liaoning's comeback, Guangdong hit consecutive three-pointers and eventually established a 20-point lead to win the game.
In the end, Guangdong once again outplayed Liaoning, rallying to take a crucial 2-1 lead over Liaoning on aggregate.