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By Zhao Rui (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-02-21 09:43

The Liaoning Hunters kept their championship hopes alive by beating the Guangdong Horses 105-96 in the fourth game of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) Finals yesterday.

Zhang Qingpeng scored a game-high 31 points and forward Li Xiaoxu added 27 and four rebounds to help the home team win its first-ever CBA Finals game.

Zhang Qingpeng (L) and Yang Ming of the Liaoning Hunters celebrate after scoring a point during a game against the Guangdong Horses in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) Finals. Liaoning beat Guangdong 105-96. [Xinhua]

"It is a lot of emotion for sure," said Zhang, who fouled out in the fourth quarter. "I heard everybody saying this was the last game of the Finals. Some said we would be swept, so I just played hard to prove them wrong.

"The whole team is motivated and energized. We share the ball and play great team basketball, that's why we won the game against Guangdong."

The fist-pumping Hunters returned to the championship series after a nine-year absence, thrashing the Bayi Rockets 3-1 in the first round and then the Jiangsu Dragons 3-1 in the semifinals.

No team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit in CBA history, but in a poll conducted by web portal Sohu.com, 71 percent of participants believe the fighting Hunters have what it takes to make history.

To the cheers of 8,000 raucous home fans, the Hunters used a strong first quarter to launch the win, extending their lead to 65-54 at halftime.

Liaoning continued to build a 16-point lead in the third quarter and never gave Guangdong a chance to narrow the gap.

"This was the best game in the series," Liaoning's coach Guo Shiqiang said. "I cannot tell you how proud I am to watch my boys play. They are true warriors and I am so happy to see the smiles of all our fans in the stadium."

Guangdong's Zhu Fangyu, who is averaging 25.5 points in the playoffs, had a team-high 29 points and Wang Shipeng chipped in 17, but the duo was unable to withstand a Liaoning team that saw three players score in double figures. The Hunters' Nigerian star Olumide Oyedeji had his best game of the Championships with 25 points and 14 rebounds.

Coach Guo is confident the Hunters can turn around the up-till-now one-sided series.

"We've tried hard to get used to the intensity of the Finals, I think our efforts paid off," he said. "There is a difference in the strength of the two squads, but we got a lot of experience from the previous losses. The team will continue to push Guangdong in the next game.

"I am thinking about winning the title, I just want to show people our determination and love of basketball," said Li Xiaoxun. "It's such a long, hard process for us to reach the Finals, I don't want to let our fans down."

Guangdong's coach Li Chunjiang had high praise for his opponents, but believes his side will take charge on Friday.

"They played fantastic basketball, but what we did was just waste chances," he said. "But I am telling you we are not a soft team, we will make the best possible preparation before the fifth game. I am sure you will see what we are made of then."

The teams will play the fifth game in Dongguan, Guangdong Province, on Friday.