CBA Latest Rankings! Guangdong Returns to the Top Eight, Liaoning Surprisingly Back in Third, Shanghai's Northern Expedition and Beijing's Double Collapse
On January 10th, Beijing time, the 29th round of the CBA kicked off with fervor. After the conclusion of the matches on this day, there were significant changes in the overall standings of the league. Guangdong Hongyuan secured their longest winning streak of the season with five consecutive victories after defeating Qingdao Men's Basketball in a crucial match, successfully returning to the top eight. Liaoning Men's Basketball, on the other hand, unexpectedly bounced back from their previous losing streak to reclaim third place in the league. Shanghai Men's Basketball continued their northern campaign, achieving an impressive 15 consecutive victories, propelling them to twelfth place in the league. Meanwhile, Beijing Men's Basketball and Beikong Men's Basketball both experienced collapses, currently ranking ninth and tenth respectively. Guangsha and Shanxi maintained their positions in the top two, while Xinjiang, Shandong, Qingdao, and Zhejiang occupied the third to seventh spots.
Guangdong Hongyuan recently encountered a favorable schedule. Following their defeat at the hands of Liaoning, they went on to win against Tianjin (twice), Shandong, Shenzhen, and Qingdao, achieving their longest winning streak of the season so far. With this streak, Guangdong returned to their familiar position among the top eight, having played one more game than others. Although they may drop back to ninth after the 29th round, their victory over Qingdao in the pivotal match laid the foundation for their return to the top eight in subsequent rounds. The remaining matches in the second stage of the season are relatively easy for Guangdong, except for facing the "northern expedition army" Shanghai Men's Basketball, where their chances of winning are not high. Other teams like Beikong, Guangzhou, and Fujian should be manageable victories. By the end of the second stage, Guangdong is expected to truly return to the top eight!
Liaoning Men's Basketball finally broke out of their slump after three consecutive losses. Zhao Jiwei's timely return, the arrival of a new foreign player, and the continuous efforts of two super foreign players, Fog and Wells, have allowed Liaoning to demonstrate top-tier fighting power in the league. Recently, they have defeated strong teams such as Xinjiang and Guangdong. However, their match against Beikong was unexpected, as Liaoning led by 18 points with only five minutes left in the game but was caught up by Beikong with a 15-0 run, ultimately securing a narrow 3-point victory. As Coach Yang Ming pointed out, every game, opponent, and stage should be taken seriously. As a team that has won three consecutive championships, Liaoning should never underestimate any opponent. Currently, Liaoning holds a record of 20 wins and 9 losses, ranking third in the league, and they still maintain strong competitiveness for the top two positions in the league!
After a resounding victory over Guangzhou, Shanghai Men's Basketball achieved 15 consecutive victories, dramatically rising from last place in the league to twelfth, just one point away from the top ten. This is incredibly dramatic. There has been much media discussion recently about when Shanghai's "northern expedition" will come to an end. Upcoming matches for Shanghai include Jiangsu, Liaoning, Shanxi, Sichuan, Guangdong, and Nanjing. Apart from tough matches against Liaoning and Shanxi, they stand a chance in the other games. We can boldly speculate that by the end of the second stage, Shanghai will rise from the bottom of the league to within the top eight. In contrast, Beijing Men's Basketball and Beikong Men's Basketball, who performed exceptionally well in the first stage, have seen a decline in form in the second stage. Considering their remaining schedule, it is likely that both teams will fall out of the top eight.