CBA 24-25 season regular season has now reached the halfway point, and among the teams that have performed the best are undoubtedly Guangsha and Shanxi!
Guangsha has been outstanding this season, with their core players Sun Minghui and Hu Jinqiu maintaining good health and avoiding major injuries. The team's foreign player selection has also been appropriate, with Brown, Carlton, and Knight integrating well into the team, providing significant assistance to Guangsha. This has greatly enhanced Guangsha's strength, resulting in a record of 19 wins and 3 losses, ranking them at the top of the league!
Shanxi, on the other hand, has been the dark horse of the season, achieving a record of 17 wins and 5 losses, placing them third in the league, only two wins behind Guangsha. They still have a chance to compete for the top spot, and their strength cannot be underestimated. Their foreign players have exceptional individual abilities, and domestic players such as Zhang Ning, Yuan Shuai, Liu Chuanxing, and Jia Mingru have all performed exceptionally well, giving the team the qualifications to compete for the championship title!
Shanxi and Guangsha have both emerged as strong contenders for the championship this season, and in this match, they coincidentally faced each other. If Guangsha could defeat their opponents, they would continue to solidify their position at the top of the league. However, if Shanxi were to win, they would move even closer to the top spot!
Both teams are very strong, and the outcome of the game is crucial for determining the direction of the league standings, so neither team dared to take it lightly! At the start of the game, Guangsha quickly entered the game, with Hu Jinqiu and Brown scoring continuously, taking the lead in points! However, Diyaluo then stood out, continuously attacking Guangsha's interior and launching counterattacks, leading Shanxi to overtake the score! Fortunately, Sun Minghui and Knight subsequently stabilized the situation for Guangsha, and the two teams engaged in a tug-of-war, with Shanxi leading by 2 points at the end of the first quarter! However, in the second quarter, Guangsha began to explode, with more obvious scoring points. Sun Minghui, Brown, and Zhu Junlong took turns firing, and the team once again took control of the game, opening up a gap of 13 points at one point, controlling the momentum of the game!
In times of crisis, Diyaluo stood out again, relying on his superhuman individual ability to continuously score from inside and outside, while Zhang Ning and Yuan Shuai also opened fire, with Shanxi constantly chasing the score, reducing the halftime deficit to 4 points! In the second half, Shanxi continued to chase, and the scores of the two teams returned to the same starting line, with neither able to gain the upper hand!
In the final quarter, Zhang Ning was called for a flagrant foul on a layup, accumulating two fouls and being sent off the court, giving Guangsha an opportunity. Relying on Brown's firepower, the team regained a slight lead! At a critical moment, Shanxi's height advantage came into play again, continuously grabbing offensive rebounds, and Diyaluo also took the opportunity to continuously score, overtaking the score. With Sun Minghui's equalizing shot missing, Guangsha unfortunately lost the game 106:108!
Shanxi (18-5): Diyaluo 46 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists; Zhang Ning 10 points, 5 rebounds, sent off; Faye 11 points, 14 rebounds, 4 steals, 5 blocks; Jia Mingru 10 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists; Yuan Shuai 14 points, 2 rebounds; Jiao Hailong 9 points, 4 rebounds; Liu Chuanxing 7 points, 9 rebounds.
Guangsha (19-4): Sun Minghui 21 points, 5 assists; Hu Jinqiu 13 points, 15 rebounds; Zhu Junlong 7 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists; Brown 46 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists; Knight 6 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists.
Shanxi's victory in this game was largely due to Diyaluo's efforts, who scored 46 points and 12 rebounds throughout the game, making him unstoppable on the offensive end! While Sun Minghui of Guangsha scored 21 points and Brown got 46 points, the other players' performance was average, especially the interior defense was breached, which was the main reason for the team's loss!
With Guangsha's unexpected downfall, the CBA rankings are once again in turmoil, with four teams having the opportunity to claim the top spot in the league!
Guangsha currently remains at the top of the league, but their advantage is small, with only a one-win difference ahead of Xinjiang and Shanxi, leaving them vulnerable to being overtaken by their opponents at any time! Although Zhejiang's record is slightly worse, their state is the best, having won nine consecutive victories, showing great momentum. If the team continues to win, they also stand a good chance of catching up and claiming the top spot in the league!