Guangxi Rhinos win the China NBL

Game 3 of the Chinese NBL finals series went to form as home team Guangxi Rhinos crushed Jiangsu TX 86-64 to sweep the series. The title success came on the back of a finals series that the Rhinos have dominated at both ends of the court, winning 3-0 while cruising to victory in each game. Sure, there were flourishes from Jiangsu, but ultimately they were fleeting moments in a run of games controlled by the new champions.

In defence the gulf between the teams has been evident. In Game 3 the Guangxi Rhinos picked up 43 defensive boards while Jiangsu could only muster 26 (51-38 including offensive boards). That defensive solidity has meant the Rhinos could build a bristling attack and the consistency of scoring has been clear to see. The champs controlled all games in the paint, making play after play in the key to drive scoring and maintain a base for success.

Of course, the fact that Jiangsu committed 24 personal fouls in this contest helped to ensure the hosts got some free points on the board. Nevertheless, this has been an emphatic title series from the Guangxi Rhinos and here’s how Game 3 played out.

Guangxi Rhinos vs. Jiangsu TX, 86-64
A blistering start from the hosts saw them pepper the basket and collect a huge 28 point haul in the first ten minutes, while the visitors could not keep up and only tallied 12 points. It was early confirmation that Guangxi was intent on wrapping the title and there was little the opponents could do. In the second stanza the Rhinos eased off the buckets but still managed to take the quarter 18-15 to ensure a comfortable lead of 46-27 into halftime. Little changed in Q3 as the home team continued to control the game, netting 23 points through the period to hold a 69-46 lead after 30 minutes. As in Game 2, Jiangsu won the fourth quarter, but not by enough to even trouble Guangxi’s dominance as the Rhinos cruised to the title.

Jie Sun stood out again for the winners and was deserving of his finals MVP award. He scored 26 points in Game 3 while also being responsible for 6 assists. Hamady N’Diaye finished his quality finals series with a double-double of 19 points and 13 rebounds.

XianLing Sun topped the losing effort with 19 points, while P.J. Couisnard claimed 15 points and 7 boards.