Photo: Cui Meng/GT

The Zhejiang Lions claimed their maiden CBA title after defeating the Beijing Ducks 123-115 on Tuesday in Beijing to win the best-of-seven CBA Finals 4-2 on aggregate. 

The Lions, who were trailing 36-29 after the first quarter, led the game 69-57 before the half-time break. They managed to hold off the Ducks 99-95 in the third quarter before weathering the storm to win the sixth of the best-of-seven Finals game 123-115.

The Ducks leveled the game at 103 points in the fourth quarter thanks to the solid performance of star center Zhou Qi, and they even managed to lead in the quarter when only five minutes remained. However, the Lions' Barry Brown denied the hopes of the home team with solid three-pointers. 

The Lions' CBA win could herald a shift in domestic league competition, analysts said, as they prioritize youth development unlike other winning teams who rely on signing high-profile stars. 

Photo: Cui Meng/GT

The Hangzhou-based Zhejiang Lions players averaged 22.6 years old, the youngest player squad in the 20-team CBA, with most of their players homegrown. The club was founded only in 2005.

"This demonstrative effect may prompt the CBA clubs to further optimize their youth training policies," Zhang Bin, a Beijing-based sports commentator, told the Global Times. 

"Increasing the exposure of youth players in the league will ultimately form a virtuous cycle of youth training to the national team, cultivating more reserve forces for Chinese basketball," Zhang said.

The chemistry between the Lions' point guard Sun Minghui, 27, and center Hu Jinqiu, 29, was seen a major contributor to the team's win. 

The Lions, playing their third CBA Finals appearance, could have won the title earlier on Saturday, but were denied by the Ducks' late surge of 94-92. 

The loss ruined a planned home celebration for the Lions and sparked poor behavior from some radical fans and team officials, which led to the club being fined for over 120,000 yuan ($16,444).

En route to the final, the Lions had also defeated four-time CBA champions the Liaoning Flying Leopards 3-0 in the semifinals.

Photo: Cui Meng/GT