Liaoning Men's Basketball Team lost at home to Guangsha Men's Basketball Team in a strong matchup. The game was somewhat inexplicable; Liaoning played well in the first half, holding their own against the league leaders. However, unexpectedly, after halftime, they collapsed in the third quarter, losing by 22 points with a score of 36-14, which was unbearable to watch. This directly turned the fourth quarter into garbage time, leaving the home fans speechless and many leaving early.
After losing a strong matchup, Liaoning faced three pieces of bad news:
Firstly, Zhao Jiwei's state was poor; although his organizational skills were still there, his offense was abysmal. He had a poor shooting performance in the previous game against Jilin, and it was even worse this time, with only 1 out of 8 shots made. Perhaps he should continue playing as a substitute rather than starting.
Secondly, Coach Yang Ming lacked good cards and had poor on-site adjustment capabilities. His decision to use zone defense in the third quarter backfired, and he was slow to change strategies. Additionally, he benched the hot-handed Wang Lanqin in the second half and started Zhao Jiwei instead, which were two major blunders that contributed to the team's crushing defeat.
The third piece of bad news was the drop in efficiency for Fergie and Wells, with significantly reduced offensive and defensive aggression. They had little impact in the game and were outplayed by Brown, not even performing as well as Wang Lanqin.
However, there were also three pieces of good news for Liaoning:
Firstly, Wang Lanqin had an outstanding performance, being both stable and efficient. He was the best player in the game, contributing to offense, defense, organization, and rebounding. It is hoped that Coach Yang Ming will not suppress him and give him more playing time.
Secondly, the "Xuanming Two Elders" remained reliable, with high shooting efficiency and an advantage in rebounds. As long as they are on the court, teammates can confidently shoot, as missed shots can be recovered or result in put-back scores. The only drawback is that they cannot play for extended periods due to their age.
Lastly, Patton, the big foreign aid, performed well. He has a tough style of play, good defensive skills, rim protection, and organizational abilities, reminiscent of Morand. In summary, he is not a dud.