The landscape of the CBA has changed dramatically overnight after the conclusion of five matches in the 22nd round of the regular season. Guangdong team was defeated by Zhejiang team at home with a big score, while Beijing team lost to Shandong team away. Since Beijing's defeat against Shandong, the three major championship contenders in the league - Guangdong, Liaoning, and Beijing - have all been pushed out of the top five. Liaoning team, in particular, was dragged down by Beijing from sixth place to eighth on the leaderboard.
This season, there have been subtle changes in the CBA situation. Shanxi team's strong rise has added another contender to the championship race in the new season. However, at the beginning of the season, Guangdong team, due to poor performance of foreign players and other reasons, had already fallen out of the competition for the top four. But Beijing and Liaoning, these two traditional strong teams, performed outstandingly in the first stage of the event, steadily occupying the top four positions on the leaderboard, and even once occupied the top spot. It must be said that both Beijing and Liaoning teams were regarded as hot favorites to win the championship this season. Even without Zhou Qi, many other teams still dare not underestimate Guangdong team.
Let's start with Guangdong team. In this match, Guangdong team started well and once took a smooth lead of 10 points. However, after Zhejiang team launched a fierce attack in the second half, Guangdong team failed to make an immediate effective adjustment. Facing Zhejiang team's tidal-like fierce offensive, Du Feng underestimated the strength of this team, resulting in being ended by the opponent with a powerful wave of attacks in the third and fourth quarters. Although Guangdong team tried to counterattack several times during the game, unfortunately, they were unsuccessful and had to accept the defeat helplessly.
What about Beijing team? Their situation is even more difficult. This time away against Shandong team, it was a key battle for the fifth place. Before this game, Beijing team ranked fifth on the leaderboard, Shandong team sixth, Beijing team played one less game, and had one more victory. If Beijing team could win this game, they could not only hold the fifth position but also have the hope to return to the top four. However, unfortunately, Beijing team failed to seize the opportunity at the last moment and unfortunately lost to Shandong team. Their ranking on the leaderboard was directly surpassed by Shandong team, leaving them in sixth place.
Of course, Liaoning team became the biggest beneficiary of Beijing's loss. Before this round of games, as the defending champion, their recent form has not been good, and they have even suffered three consecutive defeats. However, the team still achieved a record of 14 wins and 7 losses, ranking sixth on the leaderboard. But with Shandong team and Qingdao team both winning the game, Liaoning team's ranking dropped sharply, being surpassed by Shandong and Qingdao, dropping directly to eighth on the leaderboard. For the defending champion, such a ranking is really hard to bear. Behind them is Guangdong team, ranked ninth.
This season, Liaoning team and Beijing team are both hot favorites to win the championship, and although Guangdong team's strength has weakened, they are still considered to have the potential to challenge the top four. Moreover, these three teams are the ones with the highest frequency of championship victories in CBA history, with Guangdong team winning the cup 11 times, Liaoning team winning four times, and Beijing team also having three championship achievements. However, after this night, the three major championship contenders that once intimidated the entire league were all squeezed out of the top five, with Beijing team ranking sixth and Guangdong team falling to ninth, which is the worst situation. It must be said that the current CBA situation has indeed undergone a huge change overnight.