The quarterfinals of the 2024–2025 Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) playoffs concluded on Tuesday. In a do-or-die Game 5 that decided the final spot in the semifinals, regular season leaders Guangsha defeated Qingdao 101–96 on their home court, securing a 3–2 series win and advancing to the final four.

Qingdao delivered a strong performance throughout the playoffs and once held a 2–1 series lead against top-seeded Guangsha, coming within one win of pulling off a historic upset — the rare feat of a No. 8 seed eliminating a No. 1. After a tense Game 4, Guangsha narrowly tied the series 2–2, setting up a decisive fifth game on April 23.

From the opening tip, both teams battled fiercely and remained neck and neck. Guangsha found momentum in the second quarter, finishing the first half with a 53–48 lead. In the second half, Guangsha maintained a steady rhythm on both offense and defense, extending the lead to double digits. Qingdao’s lack of bench depth became apparent, especially after one of their key scorers, Duan Angjun, exited in the third quarter due to injury.

In the final minutes, Qingdao mounted a desperate comeback, hitting several tough shots. After a floater by foreign player Weatherspoon, the deficit was cut to just four points. However, Guangsha’s Sun Minghui and Hu Jinqiu responded with clutch baskets to seal the game. Guangsha held on for a five-point victory.

Six Guangsha players scored in double figures. Hu Jinqiu and Sun Minghui, the team's inside-outside core duo, both recorded double-doubles. Hu posted 19 points and 10 rebounds, while Sun added 16 points and 10 assists. Qingdao’s Weatherspoon led all scorers with 24 points.

Guangsha will face defending champions Liaoning in the semifinals.

After the game, Guangsha head coach Wang Bo commented, “We pushed ourselves to the edge of a cliff, but with hard work in these last two games, we pulled ourselves back.”

Looking ahead to the semifinals, Wang said, “Liaoning has long been a powerhouse. Their players are experienced, and while we had some wins against them in the regular season, there’s still a lot we can learn from them in the playoffs.”