Translation of the article content into English:
On December 28th, Beijing time, the 23rd round of the 2024-2025 CBA regular season witnessed a series of intense matches that not only thrilled fans but also brought significant changes to the league standings. Liaoning defeated Xinjiang at home, Shanxi staged a thrilling comeback, Guangdong crushed Jilin by a massive 41-point margin, while Beijing and Sichuan narrowly won their respective games, ushering in a new landscape on the leaderboard.
In the match between Liaoning and Xinjiang, Liaoning displayed a strong performance and ultimately triumphed with a decisive 115-89 victory. After the opening tip-off, Liaoning quickly entered the game state, while Xinjiang struggled to find their offensive rhythm. Wells once again proved to be the key player for Liaoning's victory, scoring an impressive 50 points and showcasing his unmatched offensive prowess. Despite Xinjiang's attempts to respond in the game, Liaoning's powerful offensive and defensive display allowed them to secure the win and maintain their position at the forefront.
Shanxi's narrow 2-point victory over Zhejiang, with Diawara's clutch shot proving crucial, was another highlight of the round. In the "top battle" of this round, Shanxi edged out Zhejiang 107-105, making it the focus of the round. The game was full of ups and downs, with Zhejiang's foreign player Brown scoring 46 points. However, Shanxi's Diawara played heroically, scoring 46 points and grabbing 12 rebounds, including a crucial buzzer-beater at the end of the game, helping Shanxi to a narrow victory. It is worth noting that Zhejiang's Sun Minghui missed a potential game-winning shot in the final moments, allowing Shanxi to extend their winning streak.
Guangdong's comprehensive victory over Jilin, with the main players getting some rest, was also noteworthy. Facing Jilin, who only fielded a single foreign player due to the absence of their key player Jones, Jilin's offense appeared particularly weak, resulting in a crushing 65-106 defeat to Guangdong. Guangdong's performance was all-around, especially the outstanding play of foreign player Jeron Walters and local player Huang Rongqi, among others. Walters' comprehensive performance helped the team establish an early lead, and Guangdong eventually won the game by a massive 41-point margin, also providing valuable rest time for the team's main players to prepare for the upcoming schedule.
In other matches, Beijing narrowly defeated Tongxi, and Sichuan managed a close victory over Guangzhou. The match between Beijing and Tongxi was filled with suspense, with Beijing eventually securing a 110-109 victory thanks to Germain's buzzer-beater. Similarly, Sichuan edged out Guangzhou 99-98. Guangzhou's Jiao Boqiao missed a crucial game-winning shot in the final moments, allowing Sichuan to escape with a win.
After this round of matches, the CBA standings saw significant changes. Zhejiang's loss caused them to drop from second to third place, while Shanxi rose to second in the league with this victory, continuing their pursuit of the top two spots. Guangsha remains firmly in first place, followed by Zhejiang, Shanxi, Liaoning, and Shandong in second to fifth positions.
Specifically, the top five teams are as follows:
- Zhejiang Guangsha (19 wins, 4 losses)
- Shanxi Fenjiu (18 wins, 5 losses)
- Zhejiang Chouzhou Bank (17 wins, 6 losses)
- Xinjiang Men's Basketball (17 wins, 6 losses)
- Liaoning Men's Basketball (16 wins, 7 losses)
Teams ranked sixth to tenth are: Shandong, Beijing, Qingdao, Guangdong, and Tongxi. As the season progresses, competition in the CBA becomes increasingly fierce, with the gap between the top four teams constantly narrowing. Although Guangdong currently sits in ninth place, they still have the potential to catch up in subsequent matches with their overall strength.
In my personal opinion, this round of CBA matches showcased the different faces of many teams. Liaoning's performance stood out, with Wells' 50 points allowing them to easily defeat Xinjiang and demonstrate their formidable offensive power. Despite the decent performance of Xinjiang's foreign players, their overall instability provided Liaoning with an opportunity. If Liaoning can maintain this form, they will be strong contenders in the playoffs.
The intense matchup between Shanxi and Zhejiang ended with Shanxi's narrow victory thanks to a clutch shot in the final moments. This game also demonstrated the exceptional ability of Shanxi's foreign player Diawara, while Zhejiang's Brown also showed his powerful offensive capabilities. It is noteworthy that Zhejiang missed a game-winning opportunity in the final moments, which could affect their morale.
Guangdong's 41-point victory over Jilin was undoubtedly eye-catching, but Jilin's foreign player Jones was absent, leaving them significantly weakened. Guangdong's overall performance was relatively relaxed, especially the contributions of Jeron Walters, Huang Rongqi, and others, which made the game lose its suspense early on.
Overall, this round of matches further intensified the competitive landscape of the CBA. The strong performances of teams like Liaoning and Shanxi prove their competitiveness, while Guangdong, despite their big win, still needs to maintain stable play against stronger opponents to progress further in the playoffs.