In a decisive Game 3 of the CBA quarterfinals on May 12, the Beijing Men’s Basketball Team defeated Guangdong 88-73 to secure a spot in the semifinals, where they will face Shanghai. Following Guangdong’s elimination, head coach Du Feng downplayed any disappointment, emphasizing the team’s historic success.
Guangdong struggled from beyond the arc, shooting just 8-for-31. Quinn went 1-for-9 from three, Salinger finished 1-for-6 with 5 points, Xu Jie went 0-for-3 for zero points, and Cui Yongxi also missed his only attempt. Wang Shaojie scored 2 points on 0-for-2 shooting, adding 4 rebounds. On Beijing’s side, Zhou Qi posted 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 blocks on 5-for-8 shooting. Jeman contributed 17 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists with 3 steals, while Chen Yingjun added 16 points and Zeng Fanbo chipped in 15.
“I don’t feel any regret,” Du Feng stated. “Every season brings gains, whether we achieve good results or not. If every club that fails to win a championship were to dwell on regret, they’d be in constant disappointment. We’ve won 11 championships and numerous gold medals in the National Games. Many teams have never won a title—are they always in regret?” He continued, “Winning brings joy; losing requires us to find problems, analyze causes, and improve. That’s the beauty of competitive sports—there’s no room for regret.”
During the game, Beijing guard Zhao Rui collided with Hu Mingxuan and briefly left the court with an injury. After treatment, he returned, finishing with 2 points (1-for-4) and 1 rebound in 13 minutes. Beijing head coach Xu Limin addressed Zhao’s condition after the match.
“In the fourth quarter, I substituted him to protect him,” Xu explained. “I kept communicating with him to assess his condition. Considering the overall situation, his health was the priority—whether he plays the rest of the game or not, his career and national team future come first. I told him to be ready. Later, I put him back in because Lei Meng’s stamina was dropping, and the opponent was applying full-court pressure. I needed three guards to control the ball and stabilize the game.”
