CHN - Guangdong and Bayi reach final

BEIJING (CBA) - Guangdong will once again face Bayi in the CBA play-off final after both teams achieved three-game sweeps in their best-of-five semi-final match-ups.

It will be the fourth time in five years the two sides have gone head to head in the final, with Guandong having won the last two meetings.

The defending champions went through in emphatic fashion, claiming a 100-84 win at Jiangsu to complete their whitewash.

The Tigers were always on top and the match was effectively over by half-time with the score at 59-39.

Yi Jianlan poured in 26 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to help his side through.

The other tie was a closer affair, with Bayi needing overtime to dispatch Liaoning 108-103.

It was nip and tuck all the way with the lead changing hands continually.

The Rockets held a three-point lead going into the final quarter, but were forced into an extra period by Liaoning at 98-98.

Thirty points and 14 rebounds from Wang Zhizhi helped swing the tie in Bayi's favour.

The sweeps give the two sides an extended period to prepare for the best-of-seven final, which begins on March 18.

Alistair Mason
FIBA