CBA Standings Upheaval! Guangsha Triumphs Over Liaoning, Shandong Ranks Third, Guangdong on a Winning Streak, Top Eight Teams Engage in Intense Battles
The recent schedule of the CBA league has been very tight, with basically two rounds to be completed every two days, testing the depth of each team's roster. In the 27th round, there were two strong matchups: Shanxi against Xinjiang and Liaoning against Guangsha. Ultimately, Guangsha and Shanxi emerged victorious. The other matches had more obvious disparities in strength between the teams; let's take a look at the specific matchups and results of this round.
After this round of games, the CBA standings have seen significant changes. The top-ranked teams have minimal differences in their records, with each win or loss causing noticeable shifts in the rankings. Among the top four, Guangsha defeated Liaoning in this round and continues to lead the standings. Shanxi completed a remarkable 25-point comeback in the final quarter to narrowly defeat Xinjiang, returning to second place.
Shandong and Beijing also won their respective matches in this round, both securing 19 victories and ranking third and fourth respectively. Beijing has been performing well recently, achieving a three-game winning streak. However, Chen Yingjun's injury has had a considerable impact, fortunately, they still have the experienced Fang Shuo available, coupled with Zhou Qi's improving form, making the team very competitive.
Both Xinjiang and Liaoning lost in this round, causing their rankings to slip. They are now fifth and sixth, dropping out of the top four. Liaoning's form is not ideal, with Zhao Jiwei just returning and Patton newly joining the team, lacking coordination with his teammates. It is believed that after adjustments, Liaoning's form will gradually improve, especially with the arrival of new foreign player Weber, maintaining their strong capabilities. Xinjiang has mainly been affected by injuries and suspensions recently, with Qi Lin, Abudu Salamu, and Zhao Rui unable to play, which will undoubtedly affect the team's strength. Once these players return, Xinjiang's capabilities will surely improve.
Zhejiang has also been hit hard by injuries recently, particularly with Yu Jiaxuan's injury highlighting their interior issues. In this round, Zhejiang surprisingly lost to Jiangsu, suffering a three-game losing streak. On the leaderboard, Zhejiang's ranking has dropped to seventh. Qingdao has been performing reasonably well recently, achieving a three-game winning streak, keeping up with the teams ahead in terms of record, and their eighth-place ranking reflects their strength.
Looking at the records, from second-placed Shanxi to eighth-placed Qingdao, the gap between these seven teams is at most one win, with not much difference in strength, creating a somewhat chaotic situation. This also shows that the competition for the top four spots this season is very intense.
Guangdong, Beikong, Tongxi, and Shanghai currently rank ninth to twelfth. Including the previous eight teams, these are the teams currently in the playoff zone. Judging from this season's situation, it is basically these twelve teams that can enter the playoffs, as the teams behind them are somewhat weaker, with slim hopes of making the playoffs. It is worth noting that although Guangdong and Shanghai's current rankings are not high, these two teams are not to be underestimated by any means. Guangdong has a deep championship pedigree, and once Hu Mingxuan returns and the team signs another powerful foreign player, they may still have the potential to challenge for the championship. Meanwhile, Shanghai has been unstoppable recently, achieving an impressive 13-game winning streak, undoubtedly a formidable force in the league!