Guangdong celebrate after winning their ninth CBA title on May 3, 2019 (Xinhua/Hu huhu)
URUMQI, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Unstoppable Yi Jianlian named FMVP with 37 points and 16 rebounds in Game 4 while Guangdong overcame Xinjiang 103-98 to win the championship of 2018-2019 Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) on Friday night.
It was the third straight sweep in CBA Finals since 2017, when Guangdong was beaten by Xinjiang two years ago.
Guangdong kept the same game strategy that was still working. A 10-1 run capped by Yi Jianlian's 3-pointer, helped Guangdong extended the lead to 15-7. Zeng Lingxu finished a driving layup and cut the deficit to 4 points before the first quarter ended.
Zhao Rui hit back-to-back shots from beyond the arc in the second, while Guangdong was up 34-24. The hard situation seemed to motivate Abudushalamu, who scored 11 straight points before Jarnell Stokes added a put-back to stop Xinjiang's slip with 41-44 at halftime break.
It was a tough moment for Xinjiang, when Guangdong opened on a 13-3 run in the third period which sparked by Yi Jianlian's 3-pointer and steal. Following a timeout, Xinjiang erased a double-digit deficit before Li Gen made two free throws and Kyranbek added a 3-pointer to outscore Guangdong 75-69.
Yi Jianlian dominated the fourth while he tied it up on a dunk and then made a three-point play to retake the control of the game. The Chinese basketball legend hit two free throws in the final minute to close out the game with 103-98 when Guangdong brought their bench to its feet.
Marshon Brooks and Ren Junfei each had 17 points, Stokes got a double-double with 21 points and 20 rebounds for Xinjiang.
