Guangdong suffered a disappointing road loss to Beijing on Tuesday, ending their playoff run in the quarterfinals. Despite entering the game as underdogs, the team fought hard but ultimately fell short in a contest many fans believe was heavily influenced by questionable officiating.
According to reports, the Guangdong coaching staff is considering filing an appeal against the refereeing decisions. From the opening tip, Guangdong was called for repeated fouls, reaching the team foul limit within the first five minutes. By contrast, Beijing committed almost no fouls in the early going, even when their players made aggressive plays that went unnoticed.
The most controversial moment came when Guangdong held a 10-point lead. Over two consecutive possessions, referees awarded Beijing seven points through a series of disputed calls, completely shifting the momentum of the game. From that point on, Beijing seized control and never looked back. The free-throw disparity told the story: despite missing their starting center, Guangdong attempted 20 fewer free throws than Beijing, a gap that many found absurd.
Point guard Xu Jie was particularly affected by the early whistle. He picked up two quick fouls in the first quarter, throwing off his rhythm and limiting his impact on the game. Xu finished with just 0 points, a stark contrast to his usual performance. The loss marks the end of Guangdong’s season, but the controversy surrounding the officiating is likely to linger.