In a thrilling CBA regular season match-up, Liaoning Men's Basketball faced off against Guangsha. Liaoning had just defeated Jilin in their previous game and were riding high on momentum, while Guangsha had become the focus of the league with three consecutive victories. The game started with both teams locked in a tight battle, with Liaoning taking the lead after a brief back-and-forth, but Guangsha quickly adjusted, resulting in a close first quarter with a combined score of less than 50 points. The second quarter saw the situation remain deadlocked, with Guangsha holding a slight advantage at halftime. However, the tide turned dramatically in the second half. Guangsha launched a fierce offensive assault, with multiple players contributing, while Liaoning struggled with their attack, plagued by frequent turnovers. By the third quarter, Guangsha had extended their lead to over 20 points. The fourth quarter was all but decided, and Guangsha emerged victorious with a decisive 101:88 win, securing their fourth consecutive victory.
For Liaoning, Wells scored the highest with 21 points, Han Dejun contributed 8 points and 9 rebounds, and Li Xiaoxu performed steadily with 12 points and 6 rebounds. However, core guard Zhao Jiwei had a disappointing game, shooting only 1 out of 8 for a total of 5 points and 3 assists, a significant drop from his usual performance. Please pay attention to Zhao Jiwei's offensive play (GIF animation can be seen at the end of the article), where he passed to Fu Hao for an open layup that missed, causing Zhao to stomp his feet in frustration. It must be said that without Zhang Zhenlin, Liaoning's frontcourt has almost lost its attacking threat, and Han Dejun is also showing signs of physical fatigue. Fu Hao's enthusiasm has been questioned, and the team's competitive state did not meet expectations. On the Guangsha side, foreign player Brown unleashed his full potential, scoring an impressive 41 points and demonstrating his absolute core strength. Although Sun Minghui did not score much, he contributed 7 assists in organizing the offense, playing a crucial role in connecting the team. Hu Jinqiu added 13 points and 6 rebounds, Knight contributed 13 points and 8 rebounds, and Zhao Yanhao also scored in double digits. Both the foreign and domestic players of Guangsha put on a comprehensive display in this game, dominating both ends of the court.
Some fans jokingly referred to Guangsha as having "turned Liaoning into Guangdong Hongyuan." This jest reflects a metaphorical view of Liaoning's current situation and recognition of Guangsha's comprehensive strength at this stage. Guangdong Hongyuan was once the dominant force in the CBA, but now struggles to secure a playoff spot, with past glories replaced by injuries and an aging roster. Liaoning exposed similar problems in this game—aging lineup, lack of tactical variation, and a decline in key players' form. In contrast, Guangsha has shown a different trajectory of development. As domestic players like Sun Minghui, Hu Jinqiu, and Zhao Yanhao reach their peak, the team has successfully brought in high-level foreign players like Brown, along with a mature team combat capability, making Guangsha a strong contender for the championship. From their current form to their natural talent, Guangsha is undoubtedly the most balanced team in the league.
As Liaoning's head coach, Yang Ming's coaching ability has always been under scrutiny. After the loss, some Liaoning fans remained unsettled, questioning, "Where exactly is Yang Ming's strength?" In fact, since taking office, Yang Ming has relied on his personal experience as a player and his ability to adjust the team atmosphere, leading Liaoning to achieve certain results. However, this defeat has magnified some issues. In terms of on-court adjustments, Yang Ming failed to implement effective defensive strategies in response to Brown's explosive performance, which was clearly related to Liaoning's defensive setup. Additionally, when the team's offense stalled, Yang Ming was unable to effectively address the problem through timeouts or tactical adjustments. However, it would be unfair to place all the blame on Yang Ming. Analyzing the team structure, Liaoning is currently facing challenges such as an aging roster and insufficient frontline talent. The absence of Zhang Zhenlin significantly reduced the team's offensive options, and Han Dejun and Li Xiaoxu struggled against younger and more mobile opponents.
In other words, even if Yang Ming's tactics were stronger, it would be difficult for him to do much more with the current roster. As fans put it, whether a game is played well depends on the players' performance, with the coach being a secondary factor. No matter how strong the coach is, if the players are lacking, they will never win 100% of the time, just like Chinese men's football and basketball, where bringing in the world's best coaches still yields the same old results, unable to secure victories. Conversely, with weak coaching but strong players, the team can still win. Watching a game primarily focuses on the abilities of the players.
