Yao Ming Helps Sharks Topple Rockets in CBA Finals

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, April 18, 2002

Yao Ming Helps Sharks Topple Rockets in CBA Finals

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Yao Ming broke the Shanghai Sharks out with three free throws from the last tie in the decisive quarter, leading the home team to a 129-122 crucial victory over Bayi Rockets in the third match in the finals of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) in Shanghai on Wednesday (April 17).

The 21-year-old center was 3-4 on the line down the stretch to give Sharks a 121-118 lead for the good with less than three minutes left on the clock.

Yao, who scored 46 points and grabbed 23 rebounds, was not called for a block on Rockets' center Li Ke, and the Rockets were called a time violence in a sequence with just one minute left.

The visiting Chinese army team missed two three pointers as the time ran out, seeing the Sharks taking a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series.

Liu Yudong scored 17 out of his game-high 47 points in the fourth quarter, in addition to 10 rebounds. Li Nan had 34 points and 10 rebounds after he buried three 3-pointers in a row earlier in the quarter.

Six Sharks players had double-figure scores with Zhang Wenqi chipping in 21, David Benoit 19 and Liu Wei 15.

"We have displayed our best game tonight. But here is the home of Shanghai, so they got the win," said Rockets' head coach Adijiang.

Li Qiuping, coach of the Sharks, said, "We did a brilliant job on the crucial moments. We fought them back. My players made very important points in the fourth quarter. I'm really satisfied with their consistency."

The Rockets held the lead in the most time of the first half, leading 35-34 in the first quarter, and 66-62 in the second when Liu had 30 points while Yao got 29 points and 15 rebounds.

Americans Benoit and Steven Hart were pitched together in the third quarter when the Rockets rested Liu and Li for 5:40 minutes with the visiting side still leading at 77-75.

The fourth game of the tie is set for Ningbo, Rocket's home court, in Zhejiang Province, on Friday.

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