The Chinese Basketball Association league (CBA) announced Friday
the playoff matchups for the 2007-08season after it stripped
second-placed Xinjiang Guanghui of the right in the playoffs one
day earlier.
Xinjiang was deducted 18 points for using Song Cun-Sou, a third
foreign players, during the regular season and fell to the 11th
placing with 38 points.
Song was found using two American passports during the regular
season and his Chinese identities were verified as faked.
The 9th-placed Zhejiang Guangsha took the place into the
playoffs and the other six teams behind Xinjiang were promoted one
place up each.
The league was supposed to announce the playoff matchups on
Monday as top four teams have rights to select their first-round
opponents from the 5-8 placings in order.
The playoff matchups are as following:
Guangdong Hongyuan (1) vs. Zhejiang Guangsha (8)
Jiangsu Dragons (2) vs. Fujian SBS (7)
Shandong Flaming Bulls (3) vs. Dongguan Marco Polo (5)
Liaoning Hunters (4) vs. Bayi Fubang (6)
The playoffs will start on Jan. 16 on a base of best-of-five
schedule, while the Finals will be played on best-of-seven.
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(Xinhua News Agency January 12, 2008)