Guangdong suffered a 73-88 defeat against Beijing in the third game of their CBA playoff series, losing by 15 points. The loss meant Guangdong was eliminated with a 1-2 series deficit, while Beijing advanced to the semifinals.
In the first quarter, Guangdong looked strong, leading by as many as 11 points. However, that was the highlight of the night for the team. Beijing turned the tables in the second quarter and took control from there. By the third quarter, Beijing had built a 10-point cushion. Guangdong briefly cut the deficit to just one point, but a quick scoring run by Beijing pushed the lead back to double digits, and Guangdong could never recover.
With the elimination, head coach Du Feng and general manager Zhu Fangyu’s preseason championship ambitions were crushed. This also marked the first time in Guangdong’s history that the team failed to reach the semifinals for two consecutive seasons, adding an unwanted record to Du Feng’s tenure.
In the post-game press conference, a reporter asked Du Feng if he had any regrets about the exit. Du Feng responded firmly and confidently: “Regrets? I have no regrets. If not winning the championship means regret, then many teams have never won a title. But we have 11 CBA championships. Does that mean all those other teams are living in regret?”
He continued, “When you lose, you look for reasons. When you win, you enjoy it. Every season, whether the result is good or not, there’s something to learn. You reflect and improve. That’s sports. There’s no regret.”
Du Feng’s calm and composed response once again showcased his trademark resilience as one of the league’s most experienced coaches.