On January 10th, as the hands of Beijing time quietly moved forward, the 29th round of the CBA regular season kicked off. A highly anticipated match was about to take place at the home court of the Shanghai team, where they would face off against the Guangzhou men's basketball team. At that time, the competitive states of the two teams were quite different, as if they were at opposite extremes. On the Guangzhou side, in the previous round of matches, they finally managed to end their disheartening 11-game losing streak, akin to finding a glimmer of light in the darkness, which must have boosted the morale of the team to some extent. On the other hand, the Shanghai team was truly in high spirits, having won 14 consecutive victories, sweeping across the court like a surging wave with an unstoppable momentum. With such a stark contrast, judging from the pre-match situation, it seemed that there would indeed be little suspense in this game. However, the basketball court has always been a stage full of variables, and no one can accurately predict what will happen until the very last moment of the game. Every struggle for ball possession, every execution of tactics, and every instant of on-court performance by the players could potentially cause a drastic change in the direction of the game. So, let us now focus our attention on this match and enjoy the exciting confrontation that both sides are about to present.
During the opening of the game, Guangzhou did not show any particularly outstanding highlights on the offensive end, but their defensive performance was commendable. They effectively restricted their opponents and did not easily allow them shooting space, thus well controlling the opponent's shooting percentage. As for the Shanghai team, player Li Hongquan had an excellent feel for the outside shots, as he continuously hit three-pointers, showcasing his outstanding individual offensive ability. However, in stark contrast, his teammates struggled with their shooting, performing unsatisfactorily. Although the Shanghai team had a strong ability to create scoring opportunities during the game, overall, the team's stability still had room for improvement. At the end of the first quarter, the score was set at 22-21, with the Shanghai team trailing Guangzhou by only one point.
In the second quarter, the Shanghai team showed a significant advantage in the paint. They actively fought for rebounds and scored a 9-0 run. At this stage, people thought that the Shanghai team could ride this momentum and launch a stronger offensive. However, contrary to expectations, their outside shooting was disappointing, causing their overall offense to stall. Despite subsequent attempts to regain their shooting touch, the results were not ideal. On the other hand, Guangzhou demonstrated remarkable resilience in the game. In this match, the foreign players of Guangzhou performed moderately without any standout displays. However, it is worth mentioning that the domestic players of the team performed exceptionally well, able to grasp various opportunities that appeared on the court with precision. Among them, young player Yuan Zhaoyao stood out, continuously hitting three-pointers on the court. With the collective efforts of the team, Guangzhou successfully overtook at halftime with a score of 49-45, leading the Shanghai team by four points.
In the second half of the game, Guangzhou gradually exposed many problems. When facing more intense pressing defense from their opponents, the domestic players of the team found it difficult to maintain a high finishing efficiency on the offensive end. Moreover, as the game progressed, the players' physical strength also showed signs of fatigue, causing the team to start showing weaknesses in the defensive phase, and the overall game situation took a sharp turn for the worse, becoming increasingly unfavorable for Guangzhou. On the other hand, the Shanghai team made effective adjustments in their game strategy, no longer insisting solely on outside offense. When they brought the ball more into the paint, the success rate was quite impressive. In the paint, Wang Zhelin and Lofton used their own abilities to exert great pressure on Guangzhou's defense, making it difficult for the opposition to effectively block them. Additionally, Liu Zheng scored frequently in transition attacks with quick fast breaks. Thus, at the end of the third quarter, the Shanghai team led Guangzhou by 11 points with a score of 76-65.
In the final quarter of the game, the situation presented a one-sided trend. Li Tianrong displayed remarkable form, hitting two three-pointers in succession. The basketball drew beautiful arcs in the air before falling accurately into the basket, instantly igniting the atmosphere of the entire venue. Following this, Wang Zhelin used his powerful strength to forcefully jump up in the paint and steadily score. This series of spectacular performances directly sparked an 11-0 scoring run. As a result, the point difference between the two sides widened to over 20 points, and the scales of victory tilted significantly towards one side, with the dawn of victory becoming increasingly clear. On the Guangzhou side, due to playing with a single foreign player, they seemed trapped in an offensive quagmire under such fierce attacks from their opponents, completely silent and unable to find effective scoring methods. Occasionally, they managed to add a few points to the scoreboard through scattered scoring, but this was like pouring water on a fire for the huge point difference at this time, having no substantial effect. They could only helplessly watch as the suspense of the game gradually disappeared, with the situation beyond recovery.
The final whistle blew, and the game result was settled. The Shanghai team achieved a resounding victory over Guangzhou with a score of 112-81, securing an impressive 15-game winning streak. In this match, Wang Zhelin shone on the court, shooting 9 times and hitting 7, allowing him to easily score 20 points and grab 10 rebounds with such efficient play. Li Tianrong unleashed his firepower, scoring an impressive 31 points with his outstanding individual ability. Li Hongquan also performed well, contributing 15 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Lofton's performance was also noteworthy, scoring 19 points while grabbing 14 rebounds and dishing out 5 assists. The Shanghai team can be considered a miraculous team this season, advancing vigorously in the league journey with an unstoppable momentum. Judging from the current situation, the next match against Jiangsu seems to be no challenge for the Shanghai team, with victory seemingly already in their grasp. However, it should be noted that in the upcoming schedule, they will face Liaoning, a strong team, which is undoubtedly the biggest challenge for the Shanghai team. Will the Shanghai team be able to continue writing legends and creating surprises in this tough battle? Let us wait and see.
