Related News
Home » Sports » Basketball
Sharks await hot Shanxi as CBA playoffs kick off today
By Alex Linder |
February 22, 2012, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
SHANGHAI Sharks, picked by many to do nothing at the beginning of the season, wrapped up the sixth seed in the CBA regular season and will play a tough playoff series starting against the third seed Shanxi Brave Dragons at Yuanshen Stadium in Pudong today.
The teams split the season series with both defending their home court. Shanxi ran up an unprecedented 118 points against the vaunted Shanghai defense last time out. Shanxi leads the CBA in scoring with 111.1 points per game and Shanghai gave up the least amount at 89.6 points per game.
Something has to give way and Shanghai coach Daniel Panaggio believes they need to keep the score below the century mark. "Transition defense is going to be really important," he said. "We need to get back and force them into a half-court game, control the tempo and lower the score."
Shanxi is led by its two American imports, Marcus Williams and Charles Gaines, who make up the most fearsome duo in the CBA combining for 61.4 points per game.
Williams is an astounding all-around player that American forward Mike Harris singled out as the best player in the league. "Marcus Williams is an NBA level player," Harris said. "His three-point percentage is something ridiculous. He has the ability to go the basket, to shoot the midrange, to get ten attempts from the free throw line."
Charles Gaines is a banger who led the CBA in scoring last year and can seem unstoppable to defenders. "You can't stop him from going right," Harris said. "Those two alone are a nightmare. They have got Chinese guys that are real streaky, and if they are knocking shots down they are very impressive."
To win the series Panaggio said he was going to need more from the whole team, especially on the road, but he especially points to Harris.
"Obviously Mike Harris is our scoring leader and our rebounding leader," he said. "So we need Mike to play at a really high level. He is the key."
For his part Harris knows that the team is going to need more from him and he wants to be the one to try and contain Gaines.
"I want to take that responsibility," Harris said. "It's the playoffs. It's win or go home. In the playoffs I want to guard the best."
The CBA playoff series are a best-of-five format with a 1-2-1-1 schedule where the lower seeded team hosts Game 1. The Sharks get to start at home and try to build some momentum before going on the road and taking on the Herculean task of stealing game in Shanxi. But it all starts out with that first home game.
The teams split the season series with both defending their home court. Shanxi ran up an unprecedented 118 points against the vaunted Shanghai defense last time out. Shanxi leads the CBA in scoring with 111.1 points per game and Shanghai gave up the least amount at 89.6 points per game.
Something has to give way and Shanghai coach Daniel Panaggio believes they need to keep the score below the century mark. "Transition defense is going to be really important," he said. "We need to get back and force them into a half-court game, control the tempo and lower the score."
Shanxi is led by its two American imports, Marcus Williams and Charles Gaines, who make up the most fearsome duo in the CBA combining for 61.4 points per game.
Williams is an astounding all-around player that American forward Mike Harris singled out as the best player in the league. "Marcus Williams is an NBA level player," Harris said. "His three-point percentage is something ridiculous. He has the ability to go the basket, to shoot the midrange, to get ten attempts from the free throw line."
Charles Gaines is a banger who led the CBA in scoring last year and can seem unstoppable to defenders. "You can't stop him from going right," Harris said. "Those two alone are a nightmare. They have got Chinese guys that are real streaky, and if they are knocking shots down they are very impressive."
To win the series Panaggio said he was going to need more from the whole team, especially on the road, but he especially points to Harris.
"Obviously Mike Harris is our scoring leader and our rebounding leader," he said. "So we need Mike to play at a really high level. He is the key."
For his part Harris knows that the team is going to need more from him and he wants to be the one to try and contain Gaines.
"I want to take that responsibility," Harris said. "It's the playoffs. It's win or go home. In the playoffs I want to guard the best."
The CBA playoff series are a best-of-five format with a 1-2-1-1 schedule where the lower seeded team hosts Game 1. The Sharks get to start at home and try to build some momentum before going on the road and taking on the Herculean task of stealing game in Shanxi. But it all starts out with that first home game.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
