In the 26th round of the CBA, the second battle between Shandong and Guangdong took place. In the first stage of the season, Guangdong suffered a 10-point defeat, starting with two consecutive losses. This time, for Du Feng, it was a must-win situation. On the other hand, Shandong, who had superior strength on paper, also hoped to double-kill Guangdong this season. With recent defeats for Zhejiang and Shanxi, Shandong had a chance to climb to second place in the standings if they could beat Guangdong. Qiubiao was determined to win, but unfortunately, he failed.
In the first quarter, both teams played fiercely, with the score tied and the lead changing hands. Xu Jie only played 9 minutes in the first quarter but hit two three-pointers in a row. Qiubiao heavily relied on Tao Hanlin, Kumajie, and Chris, three centers who took turns guarding the basket with strong defense, making it difficult for Morand and Jilunwate to attack. At the end of the first quarter, Shandong and Guangdong were tied at 24 points each.
In the second quarter, Xu Jie returned and unleashed his full firepower, scoring another three three-pointers for a total of 11 points in the quarter. King Jijie also found his rhythm against Chris, continuously scoring through fouls and free throws. Shandong gradually pulled away under Gali's leadership, who had a strong offensive desire in the second quarter, scoring against Bazley and Huang Rongqi. With Gali scoring 11 points in the quarter and 20 points in the half, Guangdong gradually fell behind.
Du Feng had limited options; Bazley's offensive methods were limited, shooting only twice in 10 minutes without much defensive impact. Zhang Wenyi also wasted too many three-point attempts (0 out of 5), leaving Guangdong's offense to rely on Xu Jie and Jilunwate. At halftime, Guangdong trailed Shandong 51-56, with Guangdong committing 12 turnovers compared to Shandong's 6. Shandong's two key players, Chris and Gali, combined for 29 points, while Guangdong's main scorers, Jilunwate and Xu Jie, had 35 points in the half (Guangdong had a significant advantage in free throws, with 19 attempts compared to Shandong's 8, and Jilunwate made 11 out of 12).
In the second half, Shandong started poorly as Huang Rongqi suddenly erupted with a three-pointer, helping Guangdong go on a 7-0 run to take the lead. Qiubiao called an urgent timeout but did not make any substitutions.
At 8:24, a malicious incident occurred on the court when Chris intentionally elbowed Xu Jie during a pick-and-roll. The referee reviewed the video and showed leniency, only penalizing Chris with a technical foul. Xu Jie made both free throws and then hit another three-pointer as Guangdong went on a 14-0 run to lead by 9 points. Shandong experienced a four-minute scoring drought, but fortunately, Chen Peidong came off the bench to hit a three-pointer, otherwise Shandong would have faced a double-digit deficit.
During Guangdong's lead, Huang Rongqi was the MVP for that short period, limiting Gali defensively and scoring 5 points in a row on offense. The only downside was that he committed two fouls and had to leave the game early with four fouls. After Huang Rongqi left, Zhang Wenyi and Zhang Haojia returned, and Shandong's perimeter was revitalized. Shandong scored 10 points in a row to narrow the gap. At a critical moment, Zhang Wenyi finally made a three-pointer, allowing Guangdong to barely maintain their lead.
In the latter half of the third quarter, Bazley returned, but Jilunwate remained on the court. Guangdong's old problem resurfaced as turnovers increased, allowing Shandong to seize the opportunity and retake the lead.
At the end of the third quarter, Guangdong and Shandong were tied at 79-79. Huang Rongqi and Yu Dehao were the unsung heroes for their respective teams. Huang Rongqi controlled the first half of the quarter, while Yu Dehao controlled the second half. Dehao's momentum was even stronger, capable of scoring three-pointers, mid-range shots, assists, and drawing fouls. Dehao scored 7 points and 1 assist in the quarter, slightly more efficient than Huang Rongqi, which is why Huang Rongqi was his substitute in Xinjiang.
In the decisive fourth quarter, Morand and Gali returned to lead the team. Du Feng brought on Er Fei, who hadn't played in the first three quarters, forming a lineup of Du Runwang, Er Fei, Zhang Haojia, Lao Mo, and Xu Jie with four forwards and one guard. Zhang Haojia defended Gali, and Du Runwang exploded again, seemingly possessed by Zhu Fangyu and Wang Shipeng, hitting a rare catch-and-shoot three-pointer (Du Runwang was 4 for 4, scoring 11 points).
Under Awang's leadership, Guangdong went on a 9-2 run to regain the lead over Shandong. Shandong's start to the fourth quarter was similar to the third, with a four-minute scoring drought. Guangdong's "stealing chicken" king Er Fei scored 4 points, and with 7 minutes and 55 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Guangdong led 88-81, forcing Qiubiao to call a timeout.
It must be said that Du Feng is indeed cunning. He deliberately did not play Er Fei in the first three quarters, saving his energy for the decisive fourth quarter (Shandong's Guo Kai being unable to play was also a difficulty). This unexpected move once again proved effective as Shandong's scoring drought continued. After Huang Rongqi returned, Guangdong's defense improved another level, resulting in a 6-minute, 11-2 run to extend the lead to 9 points!
Trailing, Shandong had few options. Gali's knee injury seemed to have flared up again, and Chris' intentional elbow on Xu Jie showed his emotional instability. Qiubiao only had Moore available, making things easier for Guangdong in the following game, focusing solely on defending Moore. In the final three minutes of the game, Shandong still only had 4 points in the quarter, forcing Qiubiao to bring back Chris for a last-ditch effort. Upon Chris' return, Shandong's offense gained some momentum. Lao Mo was replaced after a crucial turnover, and with two minutes left, Jijie, who had rested for 10 minutes, returned to take control of the game. With 1 minute and 10 seconds left, Jijie set up Zhang Haojia for a long two-pointer just inside the three-point line, helping Guangdong extend their lead to 94-87, securing their victory.
In the final minute of the game, the ingenious Du Feng made another unexpected move, withdrawing Xu Jie on defense. This change left Shandong struggling to find an offensive breakthrough, but Qiubiao had a countermeasure, bringing on Kumajie for a high pick-and-roll. Yu Dehao hit a crucial three-pointer, reducing the gap to 4 points. With 22.5 seconds left in the fourth quarter and trailing by 4 points, Shandong had a critical attack, but Yu Dehao missed his three-pointer, signaling Shandong's loss in the game.
Ultimately, Guangdong defeated Shandong 98-93, and Du Feng successfully avenged Qiubiao.
Game Summary:
Guangdong won this match with great difficulty. Facing a strong Shandong team, Du Feng used all the cards at his disposal. The key to victory was a burst in the first half of the third quarter, where Huang Rongqi's defense and three-point shooting allowed Guangdong to lead Shandong by nearly double digits for the first time. However, in the second half of the third quarter, with Huang Rongqi off the court, Shandong regained their rhythm. In the fourth quarter, Du Feng made an unexpected move by bringing on Er Fei and Morand, who effectively defended the basket, holding Shandong to only 4 points in 9 minutes and allowing Guangdong to go on a 13-4 run, becoming the reason for Shandong's defeat.
Du Feng's adjustments in the fourth quarter were crucial. Unlike before, he did not rotate Jilunwate at the end of the quarter. It's clear from this game that Du Feng's strategy was to have Jilunwate focus on attacking in the first three quarters, allowing him to expend energy to draw fouls and free throws. Morand played only 25 minutes in the first three quarters and 10 minutes in the fourth. If not for the excessive turnovers, Morand would have definitely played the entire quarter. Morand scored 8 points, grabbed 19 rebounds, dished out 10 assists, made 4 steals, and had 7 turnovers, with impenetrable defense, slightly lacking offense, and a bit too many turnovers, but his assists were impressive.
Jijie scored 26 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 assists in this game, with a low shooting percentage, mainly