NANCHANG, China, April 16 (Xinhua) -- With Zhang Zhenlin's team-high 33 points, the Liaoning Flying Leopards edged the Guangdong Southern Tigers 117-116 in overtime, marching to the finals 3-0 in the best-of-five semifinal series of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) league on Saturday.

       The defending champion Guangdong applied a full-court press defense in the first three minutes after the tip-off, setting the tone of an intense game. Guangdong kept the lead in the third quarter, outscoring Liaoning 85-76.

       Liaoning fought back with a 23-5 run in the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, Guangdong responded with five more points to tie the score at 104 with less than 20 seconds left in regular time.

       In overtime, Zhang's three-pointers in a row defused Weems' jumper and Xu Jie's layup, while Guo Ailun used the screen to make a tough layup in the final seconds which sealed the win for Liaoning.

       "So far in the playoffs, our players have shown their tenacity and have stuck to the end despite difficulties," said Liaoning head coach Yang Ming. "Guangdong also showed their fighting spirit when they had such a shortage of players, which could hardly be achieved by ordinary teams."

       The Zhejiang Lions and the Shanghai Sharks will fight for the other berth in the final, with the former leading the playoffs 2-0 as of Saturday.