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Beijing Ducks captain Chen Lei (left) celebrates while guard Stephon Marbury holds up a basketball net after the team's CBA championship win over Guangdong Southern Tigers on Friday in Beijing. Cui Meng / China Daily |
Marbury scores 41 to lead Ducks to first CBA title, capping storybook year
It was the most fitting of ends.
Stephon Marbury led Beijing to its first CBA title on Friday night at a sold-out MasterCard Center, capping a season in which he reclaimed his career and the Ducks claimed their place as one of the league's elite teams.
"When you think of how much work we put in from preseason, you knew that it was something special being brewed here," Marbury said. "I think that playing here in Beijing, the fans and the organization, everybody was so professional, and everybody wanted the same goal.
"That's just the way it was supposed to end."
The end didn't come until the end.
Beijing gritted out a 124-121 victory over the Guandong Southern Tigers, the defending league champions, that wasn't decided until James Singleton missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer as time expired.
Moments later, a sobbing Marbury was being tossed in the air time and again by his teammates in the middle of a mob on the court. Not two minutes earlier, he'd left the game in an entirely different mood, fouling out with 1:12 left and the score tied at 121-121.
It was just that close all night.
"It's a miracle, but it's also the result of our hard work," said Ducks coach Min Lulei. "It's a result of teamwork, our never-say-die spirit and Marbury's leadership. All of these combined for today's success."
The Southern Tigers were on the verge of pulling away twice, once early and once late.
The first time, they held a 40-25 lead with 11:11 left in the second quarter. But Marbury hit a 3, went to the line, hit another 3 - threat neutralized.
By the time halftime rolled around, Beijing was up 62-57 and Marbury had 27 points, 22 in the first half.
Guangdong had another run, pulling ahead 111-101with 7:14 left in the game after guard Aaron Brooks put back his own missed shot just after he'd hit two highlight-reel 3-pointers.
But Beijing quickly reeled the Tigers back in, and it was a shootout the rest of the way with the teams trading the lead time and again.
Randolph Morris finally put a cap on it with 21.9 left, drawing a foul on a fast-break and both shots.
"I was too excited to say a word," said Beijing forward Zhu Yanxi. "It was such a tough series and we moved forward step by step. We faced difficulties, but we worked together as a team and kept on fighting until the last minute."
Marbury finished with 41 points and 7 assists, while Morris had 14 points and 8 rebounds.
Brooks led Guangdong with 33 points and 5 assists, while Singleton had 29 points and 9 rebounds.
dustylane@chinadaily.com.cn
(China Daily 03/31/2012 page16)
