[] Beijing ends Guangdong's CBA dominance

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THE Beijing Ducks sent the home crowd into rapturous celebrations after capturing their first CBA title last night.

Keen to avoid the long trip to Guangzhou, the Ducks nosed out the defending champions Guangdong Southern Tigers 124-121 in a game that had the crowd biting their nails till the buzzer went off, followed by wild celebrations on the stands and on the court.

As Beijing's star player Stephon Marbury kissed the trophy in front of 18,000 fans, they knew he was the one they had to thank for to end their long wait for a title. Beijing won the best-of-seven CBA finals series 4-1.

Guangdong had kept the crown for seven years in the past eight seasons. With the win, the Ducks became the fourth CBA winners in 17 years. Bayi Rockets are eight-time winners, besides Shanghai Sharks (1) and Guangdong.

Although the CBA rules state that Marbury, an American, could not be named the MVP, the crowds at the Wukesong Stadium clearly let him know who was the real winner of the evening.

The point guard, who joined the Ducks in the 2011-2012 season, notched a game-high 41 points and 7 assists despite fouling out at the end of the fourth quarter. He was in tears at the end of the game as his teammates tossed him in the air amid wild jubilation.

"I'm so proud of the players, and, off course, Lao Ma," an emotional Min Lulei, Beijing's head coach, told reporters inside the locker room. Lao Ma is how the Chinese fans refer to Marbury. "Going through all the pains and tough games, it is hard to speak about my feelings at this moment."

Shaky start

After a shaky first quarter in which the Tigers led 36-25, Beijing surged to a 62-57 half time lead behind Marbury's stunning offense in the second quarter. As the Ducks surged ahead, the Tiger's head coach Li Chunjiang lost his cool and received a technical foul.

Marbury kept the Ducks ahead in his 43 minutes stay on the court. He had 14 free throws throughout the game and he did not miss a single one.

Five other Beijing players recorded double digit scores. Forward Zhai Xiaochuan scored 22 points and center Zhu Yanxi had 16 points. "We are a very strong united team," said Zhu, who was back on court yesterday after picking up an injury in the last game.

Tigers' Aaron Brooks helped the visitors regain the lead by 8 points in the fourth quarter after tossing two three-pointers. Brooks finished the game with 33 points and 5 assistants.

Three minutes before the end, the teams were tied at 119 and then at 121. And then Marbury fouled out with only a minute and 20 seconds left. But the Ducks secured the victory, making three out of four free throws at the end.

Sitting on the bench, Marbury covered his head with a towel as his teammate Randolph Morris sinked in the free throws to claim the title.