SHENYANG, May 1 (Xinhua) -- The Zhejiang Lions outplayed the Liaoning Flying Leopards 109-98, sweeping the defending champions 3-0 in the semifinal of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) playoffs on Thursday to qualify for their third appearance in the finals.

Zhejiang lost both of its previous two finals 4-0 to Liaoning, in 2017-18 and 2021-22 respectively.

"We've met many times before and we know each other very well. Liaoning is a traditional CBA powerhouse. Despite our win in this series, we should learn from Liaoning's determination and will on the court," said Zhejiang coach Wang Bo.

Zhejiang had enjoyed 109-90 and 110-84 victories in the previous two games on home court. However, Liaoning displayed determination to keep its hopes alive with a 33-26 first quarter. Zhejiang, who finished the regular season with a league-best 39-7 record, answered with multiple fast breaks, outscoring Liaoning 41-21 in the second quarter for a 67-54 halftime lead.

The second half was more one-sided as the Lions extended their lead to over 20 points, with regular season MVP Hu Jinqiu dominating the paint, while his teammates Sun Minghui and Barry Brown shone behind the arc to end Liaoning's quest for a fourth straight title.

Hu had a game-high 36 points and 10 rebounds. Brown added 25 points and nine assists, and Sun contributed 17 points, six rebounds and nine assists. Zhao Jiwei finished with 17 points, six rebounds and five assists for Liaoning.

Zhejiang will now face either the Beijing Ducks or the Shanxi Loongs in the 2024-25 CBA finals. Enditem