The 28th round of the CBA regular season on January 8th saw two exciting matchups, featuring Xinjiang against Nanjing and Liaoning against Sichuan. These games not only showcased the tactical characteristics of different teams but also reflected their current competitive states and developmental stages.
In the match between Xinjiang and Nanjing, the disparity in strength was evident from the outset. Due to a strategic withdrawal, Nanjing's main player, Leaf, along with several domestic core players, did not participate, significantly reducing the team's overall strength. In this situation, Nanjing had to rely on its foreign players, Floyd and Harris, who became the primary offensive support.
In the first quarter, these two foreign players performed exceptionally well, scoring 24 out of the team's 27 points. However, this over-reliance on individual ability has obvious limitations. Their scores mostly came from individual efforts, lacking teamwork, making such an offensive approach unsustainable and easily targeted by opponents.
In contrast, Xinjiang displayed a completely different playing style. They completed 13 assists in the first quarter, showcasing excellent team coordination and chemistry. Xinjiang's offense flowed smoothly, particularly with significant success in inside penetration. The team worked closely together, producing delightful team basketball.
As the game progressed, Nanjing's disadvantages became increasingly apparent. With insufficient depth in the lineup and weaker local players, once the foreign players' form fluctuated, the team struggled to maintain stable scoring. Xinjiang, on the other hand, played more freely, maintaining high efficiency with a combination of inside and outside play, ultimately winning by a large margin of 124-99.
In the other game, Liaoning faced Sichuan, presenting different features. The game was not particularly smooth, with frequent technical fouls and unsportsmanlike conduct fouls. Liaoning's head coach, Han Shuo, was called for a technical foul due to dissatisfaction with the refereeing, and player Han Dejun was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct for pulling someone from behind, affecting the game's rhythm.
Liaoning tried a new lineup in this game, with new recruit Patton partnering with Wells in the starting lineup. However, the new lineup's integration was less than ideal, with only average performance. In the bench lineup, Wang Lanqin's performance was unsatisfactory, with multiple turnovers.
On Sichuan's side, Samna's personal performance was outstanding. In the first quarter, it was precisely because of his strong performance that Sichuan could tie with Liaoning at 27. However, as the game progressed, Sichuan's over-reliance on Samna gradually became exposed. When Samna faced Liaoning's focused defense, other teammates struggled to step up and take on the scoring responsibility, causing the team's offense to stall.
After adjustments, Liaoning gradually found its rhythm. Foge played more freely after coming off the bench, continuously scoring with breakthroughs and strong attacks. Zhao Jiwei excelled in organizing and linking plays, making the team's offense more reasonable. Although Liaoning's outside shooting in the second half was still not ideal, and the new lineup's integration issues persisted, they ultimately defeated Sichuan with a score of 115-99.
After this round of games, the CBA league standings showed an extremely fierce competitive situation. Notably, the eight teams from second to ninth place had a points difference of only three points. This situation fully reflects the intense competition in this season's CBA league and foreshadows that upcoming games will be even more thrilling. Every game's victory or defeat could significantly impact the team's ranking, undoubtedly prompting all teams to go all out in future matches.