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BENXI, China, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Xinjiang defeated Liaoning 111-103 on Sunday in Game 5 of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) league semifinals, winning the best-of-seven series by 4-1.
Awaiting Xinjiang in the finals are eight-time CBA champions Guangdong, who advanced to the finals also with a 4-1 record after beating Shenzhen 103-90 on Sunday.
Xinjiang, which had previously reached the CBA finals four times, will be seeking their first league title when the finals, also a best-of-seven series, start on March 31 in Xinjiang.
Facing Liaoning Sunday nigt in Benxi, Xinjiang rebounded from Friday's controversial defeat and hit their form quickly in the game, opening with a 9-0 run and leading as many as 12 points in the first half.
After the interval, the home team tied the match three times before grabbing the led for the first time at 81-80 following a three-pointer from Randolph.
The fourth quarter became a show of Darius Adams, who scored nine of his 19 points overall to secure the victory for Xinjiang.
"Thanks to all my players, this is the toughest season for the team as well as in the 12-season career of mine," said Liaoning's head coach Guo Shiqiang, whose team suffered a string of injuries throughout the season. "We wish Xinjiang good performance in the finals."
Adams had match-high 48 points for Xinjiang, Zhou Qi added 22 points and 11 rebounds. Lester Hudson led Liaoning with 33 points, Zhao Jiwei contributed 16 points and 12 assists.
