CBA: Jeremy Lin eases Beijing Ducks to play-off semi-finals in debut China season

Ducks romp past 12th-placed finishers Fujian Sturgeons 107-75 with NBA champion top scoring on 26 points

Win takes Beijing team to semi-final with CBA champion Guangdong Southern Tigers though MVP Yi Jianlian is an injury doubt

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Jeremy Lin of Beijing Ducks reacts during a match against Guangdong Southern Tigers. The teams meet in the CBA play-off semi-finals on Tuesday. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 10:32pm, 2 Aug 2020Updated: 10:32pm, 2 Aug 2020

The Beijing Ducks stormed into the Chinese Basketball Association play-offs semi-finals with a crushing 107-75 win over the Fujian Sturgeons in Qingdao.

Jeremy Lin top scored with 26, ably assisted by Ekpe Udoh on 21 and Fang Shou on 19 points. Three more Ducks players hit double figures.

There was no sign of rustiness for the Ducks in their first game since seeing their 11-game winning streak emphatically ended by the regular season champion Guangdong Southern Tigers in the final game of the regular season last Sunday.

Instead, they started like the team who had gone on that run, racing into an early 11-4 lead in a game that was pockmarked by fouls in the opening stages. Lin hit a three for his first score of the game in his first CBA play-offs appearance since signing for the Ducks ahead of this coronavirus-disrupted season.

The Sturgeons, who finished 12th in the final play-off spot and earned the Ducks meeting by beating the Zhejiang Guangsha Lions midweek, briefly rallied before the Ducks established their dominance.

Ekpe Udoh rebounding at both ends of the court to help Duan Jiangpeng to a three and a 12-point lead before Jeremy Lin drained two from the charity line to end the first quarter 28-13.