On January 1st, Beijing time, the 25th round of the CBA will witness a heavyweight match, Liaoning's third battle in their devil schedule, against Beijing BAW, ranked 7th but still one of the favorites to win the championship this season. The two teams met on December 20th last month, with a weakened Liaoning squad facing Beijing without Zhou Qi. The battle was fierce, with Liaoning leading the score under the leadership of Ferg in the first three quarters. However, in the final quarter, Liaoning's offensive slowed down due to physical issues, and Zhang Zhenlin was forced to withdraw from the game after being accidentally injured by Fan Ziming. Beijing staged a great comeback under the leadership of Zeng Fanbo and Chen Yingjun. Zeng Fanbo contributed 4 blocks in a single quarter (all against Ferg), with a total of 7 blocks throughout the game, overshadowing everyone else, and even blocking Ferg's last-second three-pointer attempt (Ferg scored 45 points in the game). Liaoning eventually lost to Beijing by a margin of 1 point, causing Yang Ming to be somewhat furious.
Despite Yang Ming's frustration, Liaoning's subsequent record did not plummet as a result. Instead, they became more and more courageous. After Yang Ming abandoned Ture, Liaoning has won four consecutive victories, defeating Fujian, Guangzhou, Xinjiang, and Guangdong. On the other hand, Beijing has struggled, narrowly avoiding defeat to Liaoning but then suffering consecutive losses to Tianjin and Shandong, winning only one of their last four games.
Beijing BAIC's recent record has been dismal, with only four wins and six losses in the last ten regular-season games. During Zhou Qi's absence due to injury, Beijing managed three wins and three losses, including defeats to Tianjin, Shandong, and Xinjiang. Losing to Tianjin could be considered self-inflicted, while the losses to Shandong and Xinjiang were due to their interior and perimeter defenses being overwhelmed by Chris and Peterson respectively. This indicates that Zhou Qi's absence has had a significant impact on Beijing, especially when facing strong opponents.
Will Zhou Qi return for this game? The answer is likely yes. On the night of New Year's Eve, December 31st, Zhou Qi posted a new video on social media and made a tough statement, vowing to start the year with a victory. Zhou Qi said: "Thank you so much for the support and encouragement from all the fans. In 2025, I will continue to work hard to get my body back to its best condition. Basketball is like life; you have to keep dribbling to find breakthrough opportunities. Let's start the year with a victory together in 2025."
Judging from Zhou Qi's appearance in the video, his cold must have cleared up, as he looks rosy and energetic. He did not play in the previous game against Xinjiang, but there is no reason for him to avoid this game against Liaoning. At present, Beijing is going through a difficult period, and as the highest-paid player on the team, Zhou Qi has no reason not to play.
With Zhou Qi likely to return, Liaoning has also prepared. On the night of December 30th, after defeating Guangdong, Liaoning's long-awaited big foreigner finally arrived in Shenyang. According to the latest news from Liaoning, Justin Patton, the former Shanxi player who stands at 211cm and weighs 109kg, has completed the signing and registration procedures in accordance with CBA regulations and is just waiting for CBA's approval to immediately represent Liaoning in the game.
Some fans may worry that Patton, as a newcomer, has not yet gelled with the team, and whether Yang Ming will include him in the roster. There is no need to worry about this, as Yang Ming currently has no other options. In recent rounds, in order to secure victories against Guangzhou, Xinjiang, and Guangdong, Yang Ming has played too many short rotations, and the physical endurance of Han Dejun and Li Xiaoxu has reached its limit. As long as Patton can successfully register, Yang Ming will definitely bring him along, even if it's just to play for a few minutes, which would also serve as protection for Han Dejun and Li Xiaoxu. Moreover, Patton has played in the CBA before, so his familiarity with the league is higher than other foreign players who have never played in China.
Liaoning's big foreigner is ready, and now they are just waiting for Zhao Jiwei and Zhang Zhenlin to recover. Unfortunately, Zhao Jiwei's current injury situation is not very optimistic. On New Year's Eve, Zhao Jiwei also posted an update on social media, showing photos of his treatment for esophagitis edema during this period.
From the pictures, we can see that Zhao Jiwei has used a lot of advanced medical equipment to treat his esophagitis, including nebulization, ultrasound therapy, infrared heat therapy, and even had a small incision made on his chest for intravenous infusion.
Prior to the game against Guangdong, Yang Ming stated that the injury situations of Zhao Jiwei and Zhang Zhenlin would mainly be based on official announcements, and he personally believed that the chances of a quick recovery were slim. From a pessimistic perspective, it is estimated that Zhao Jiwei is likely to miss the second stage of the season and also affect the national team's Asian Qualifiers during the window period. It must be said that the elbow from Jiangsu's little foreign aid really had a lasting impact.
Zhao Jiwei will definitely not be able to play, but Liaoning still has Wang Lanyin available. The good news is that Wang Lanyin has been in excellent form recently, and his integration into the team has improved significantly compared to before. Since playing for only one minute against Fujian and being abandoned by Yang Ming, Wang Lanyin suddenly found his rhythm, receiving increased playing time in the last three rounds. He scored 10 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, and dished out 3 assists against Guangzhou; he scored 20 points, grabbed 7 rebounds, and dished out 4 assists against Xinjiang; and he scored 16 points, grabbed 3 rebounds, and dished out 3 assists against Guangdong. Basically, Wang Lanyin has adapted to his new role in Liaoning, allowing Zhao Jiwei to focus on his recovery.
This epic battle will take place at 7:35 pm Beijing time on January 1st, and CCTV5 will broadcast it live.