With Guangdong's great victory and Liaoning's capture of Shandong, the men's basketball semifinals at the National Games are set: Sichuan vs Zhejiang, and a fierce battle between Liaoning and Guangdong.

On November 10th Beijing time, the quarterfinals of the National Games men's basketball began with fierce competition. The outcomes of the four matchups were: Beijing lost 76-89 to Sichuan’s dominant inside game; Shanghai suffered a narrow 52-58 defeat to Zhejiang in a shooting-heavy battle; Tianjin was overwhelmed 65-107 by the unstoppable Guangdong; Liaoning decisively beat Shandong 88-61. Consequently, the semifinalists have emerged as Sichuan, Zhejiang, Guangdong, and Liaoning!

Beijing faced Sichuan. Both teams played intensely throughout the game, but Sichuan’s inside duo of Zhou Qi and Hu Jinqiu dominated slightly, gradually pulling ahead. Although Beijing kept close on the scoreboard, they were always a step behind strategically. Ultimately, Sichuan had four players scoring in double digits to defeat Beijing and advance to the semifinals!

Shanghai played against Zhejiang. This game was quite unpleasant to watch, with a very slow pace and hardly any fast breaks. Shooting was poor on both sides, resulting in a tightly contested match where neither team could pull away. In the end, Zhejiang showed stronger resolve to edge out Shanghai and secure a semifinal spot!

Tianjin went up against Guangdong. This match turned into a one-sided affair, as Guangdong, boasting a top-tier lineup, completely dominated on the court, relentlessly scoring. Tianjin was powerless to stop them as the point gap widened quickly, leading to garbage time early on. Ultimately, Guangdong unleashed full firepower to crush Tianjin by 42 points, creating a huge blowout. It must be said, Guangdong’s offensive strength is truly overwhelming!

Liaoning matched up with Shandong. Liaoning showed superior strength, playing aggressively and applying strong pressure through the first three quarters. Their offense steadily increased the lead, which kept growing by the end of the third quarter. In the final period, Liaoning eased off offensively, allowing Shandong to attempt a comeback, but the deficit was too large to overcome. Liaoning comfortably controlled the game, with Yuan Shuai exploding for 28 points, a key factor in their win!

With that, the semifinal matchups for this tournament have been decided: Zhejiang will challenge the unstoppable inside power of Sichuan, while Liaoning faces the offensively dominant host Guangdong. These two clashes will surely be explosive and thrilling. We look forward to the final pairings—let’s wait and see!

Written by / Sports Novel