On the night of December 28th, Beijing time, the 23rd round of the CBA regular season concluded with the last five matches. This night was nothing short of madness, with two games resulting in crushing victories by large margins, and three others going down to the wire before a winner could be decided. The two teams that achieved these lopsided victories were Liaoning and Guangdong, both established powerhouses in the CBA. On this night, Du Feng and Yang Ming emerged victorious, but Yang Ming had an even greater sense of satisfaction.
Liaoning avenged their previous loss to Xinjiang with a 26-point victory, with Willes scoring an astonishing 50 points, akin to a god descending from heaven. Despite Xinjiang's recent victories over Shanxi and Beikong, they suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Liaoning, losing 89-115. The game was effectively over by the end of the third quarter, with Liaoning dominating throughout. Willes put on a career-defining performance for Liaoning, scoring 50 points, grabbing 2 rebounds, and dishing out 6 assists in 43 minutes of play. He shot an impressive 57% from the field, including 11 out of 19 from beyond the arc. Of his 50 points, 47 were scored in the first three quarters alone. If not for the lack of suspense in the fourth quarter and Yang Ming's decision to rest Willes early, he might have broken his personal record of 54 points in a single CBA game.
Yang Ming refrained from pushing Willes further, as they had already secured a comfortable lead and needed to conserve energy for the upcoming match against Guangdong. In summary, both Liaoning and Xinjiang were not at full strength, yet Liaoning managed to secure a 26-point victory. The key to their win, aside from Willes' performance, was their championship-level intensity. Yang Ming deployed a relentless six-man rotation in the first three quarters, with a focus on the frontcourt featuring the "Xuanming Two Elders" and Fu Hao, and the backcourt led by Foger, Willes, and Wang Lanqin. Liaoning maintained a high tempo on both ends of the court, with the "Xuanming Two Elders" focusing on rebounding rather than interior play, leading to multiple high-quality fast breaks. They scored 60 points in the first half, with Wang Lanqin contributing significantly with 20 points and 4 assists. Their ability to make tough shots and create plays offensively caught Xinjiang off guard.
Yang Ming praised his team's execution and desire to win, calling it the strongest he has seen in all his years of coaching. This victory was particularly satisfying for him.
Guangdong also achieved a resounding victory, defeating Jilin 106-65 in a game where Jilin essentially conceded. While Jilin is not a powerhouse, their decision to rest key players like Jones and Kizlink before the match was akin to admitting defeat. Facing Guangdong with only one foreign player, the outcome was never in doubt. Jilin fell behind early in the first quarter and, despite briefly closing the gap to one point in the second quarter, they collapsed under the onslaught of Huang Rongqi and Bazley, who combined for a 38-17 run in the second quarter alone. By halftime, Jilin trailed by 24 points, rendering the second half inconsequential.
Four Guangdong players scored in double figures, with Jilunwote leading the way with 22 points and 9 rebounds (all scored in the first half), Xu Jie adding 13 points in just 27 minutes, and the "vegetarian killer" Bazley contributing 18 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 3 blocks. Huang Rongqi chipped in with 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. After the game, Du Feng commented that this was not a true reflection of Jilin's capabilities.
Beijing's victory over Tongxi was much harder fought. Beijing has been struggling recently, winning only three out of their last eight games. Tongxi, without Guo Haowen, put up a strong fight with an eight-man rotation. Tongxi played well in the first three quarters, often leading Beijing. However, in the fourth quarter, they began to falter on both ends of the court. With four minutes left, Beijing went on a 15-2 run to take the lead, and despite Lin Wei's efforts to bring Tongxi back into the game, they ultimately lost 109-110.
Three players were instrumental in Beijing's comeback: Chen Yingjun, who scored only 2 points in the first three quarters but erupted for 15 in the fourth; Zeng Fanbo, who also had a quiet start but scored 11 in the final period; and Jermaine, who scored 11 points in the first three quarters and hit the game-winning shot in the fourth. This was Jermaine's third time saving the team from the brink of defeat this season. As for why Beijing keeps finding themselves in such dire straits, that remains part of Xu Limin's plan for victory.
Shanxi also eked out a narrow victory over Guangsha, continuing their impressive run. Despite being without their star foreign player Goodwin, who was suspended, and Zhang Ning being ejected in the fourth quarter after accumulating a technical foul and a flagrant foul, Shanxi managed to pull off a remarkable comeback. Diyaluo stepped up in Goodwin's absence, scoring 46 points, grabbing 12 rebounds, and dishing out 6 assists to lead Shanxi to victory. His ability to create offense and score crucial points was the difference maker in a game where Shanxi and Guangsha exchanged leads multiple times in the fourth quarter. Shanxi secured the win with Diyaluo's basket in the final seconds.
Guangsha's loss can be attributed to their inability to protect the boards, losing the rebounding battle 46-56. It's hard to fault Daxiu, as he was up against Liu Chuanxing, who stands at an imposing 225 cm tall.
The fifth and final match of the round was another close call, with Guangzhou Longshi narrowly losing to Sichuan 98-99. This was a tough pill to swallow for Guangzhou, who had previously been edged out by Liaoning by a single point.
With the conclusion of the 23rd round, the CBA regular season has reached its halfway point. The latest standings have seen significant shifts. Zhejiang, despite their loss to Shanxi, remain atop the leaderboard with 42 points. Shanxi follows closely behind with 18 wins and 5 losses, accumulating 41 points. Zhejiang has been the most improved team during this period, riding a nine-game winning streak to climb to third place. Xinjiang, following their lopsided loss to Liaoning, dropped to fourth. Liaoning maintains their fifth position and will face Guangdong in the first Liaoning-Guangdong showdown of the season in the next round.
Shandong sits in sixth with 39 points, followed by Beijing Automotive in seventh with 38 points, and Qingdao in eighth. Guangdong occupies the ninth spot, and given their current form, it seems unlikely that they will be able to break into the top six by the end of the second stage. Tongxi is tenth, followed by Beikong in eleventh, and Shanghai rounds out the top twelve with a ten-game winning streak since their coaching and roster changes. Shanghai now has the foundation to contend for the championship and is expected to finish no lower than sixth by the end of the season. Regardless of their final ranking, they will undoubtedly be a team that other contenders would prefer to avoid in the first round of the playoffs.
