Translation of the article content into English:
On January 17th, Beijing time, the 32nd round of the CBA regular season began with strong matchups, providing plenty of excitement for fans. The intensity on the court increased, with scores tightly contested until the final moments when the outcomes were decided. The games were incredibly thrilling, delighting the spectators. Let's review two standout matches!
- Shanxi's Big Win Over Shanghai:
In the first quarter, Shanxi took the lead, while Shanghai's Lofton played confidently on offense. After a rest, he returned to the court and scored in his first three attempts. Shanxi quickly adjusted their defense, double-teaming Lofton, leading to more turnovers. While Bledsoe rested, Wilson struggled during his five-minute stint, missing shots and changing his mentality. The first quarter ended with Shanxi leading 22-20 over Shanghai.
In the second quarter, Shanghai experienced a scoring drought, allowing Shanxi to go on a 12-3 run. Coach Liu Wei called a timeout, after which Shanghai scored five quick points. It was then Shanxi's turn to call a timeout as Shanghai closed the gap to one point with Bledsoe's two three-pointers. Shanxi responded by bringing in Goodwin to push the pace and create fast-break opportunities.
Liu Zheng assisted Wang Zhelin for a layup, but Wang missed an easy basket, acknowledging his mistake to his teammates. Li Tianrong missed a three-pointer, while Bledsoe grabbed an offensive rebound and made a layup, drawing a foul and converting both free throws. Wilson missed an open three-pointer, but Diarra scored with a mid-range shot. Bledsoe hit another three-pointer, leaving Shanghai trailing by two points. Liu Chuanxing drew a foul on Wilson and made one of two free throws.
Wilson underperformed in the first half, and Lofton replaced him. Li Hongquan missed a three-pointer, but Goodwin responded with a three-pointer of his own. Goodwin's excellent shooting from beyond the arc was left unchecked by Shanghai's defense. Whenever Shanghai closed the gap to two points, Shanxi would pull away again. Zhang Ning scored a mid-range jumper, and Shanghai scored on a fast break with Bledsoe adding a free throw. Zhang Ning drew a foul on Bledsoe and made both free throws. Bledsoe threw a pass directly to Li Hongquan, but the ball was intercepted, and Wang Zhelin missed a three-pointer. At halftime, Shanxi led 57-50 over Shanghai.
After the break, Shanghai scored five points to close the gap, with both teams trading three-pointers as Shanxi rained down threes. Wang Zhelin made one of two free throws, and Shanghai had six players on the court during a substitution, resulting in a technical foul. Yan Pengfei committed a foul without defending, allowing Liu Chuanxing to shoot free throws. Lofton drew a foul on Diarra and made one of two free throws.
Whenever Lofton received the ball, Shanxi double-teamed him, causing more turnovers. Li Tianrong missed a three-pointer, but Yuan Tangwen stole the ball from Diarra after he grabbed a defensive rebound. The third quarter ended with both teams tied at 79.
In the fourth quarter, fouls increased for both teams. Shanghai started with Bledsoe and Wang Zhelin in a pick-and-roll. As Bledsoe's energy waned, so did his shooting accuracy. He intentionally fouled to be substituted off by Coach Liu Wei to rest and recover. Lofton returned and scored against Shanxi's triple-team defense. Ultimately, Shanxi won 111-100 over Shanghai.
- Nanjing's Big Win Over Shandong:
In the first half, Nanjing capitalized on their home advantage despite lineup deficiencies, with the players giving their all. Conversely, Shandong was unprepared for tough situations, struggling to get into the game as visitors. With Xu Mengjun's three-pointer, Shandong found some rhythm on offense, gradually closing the gap. The half ended with Nanjing leading 52-50 over Shandong.
After the break, Shandong's offense stalled, allowing Nanjing to go on a 7-0 run. Coach Qiu Biao called a timeout, after which Shandong showed slight improvement on offense. By the end of the third quarter, they had reduced the deficit. The third quarter ended with Nanjing leading 72-68 over Shandong. In the final quarter, Shandong's offense faltered, passing aimlessly, and ultimately failed to score, as Nanjing took control of the game. Nanjing won 98-89 over Shandong.
After today's matches, the latest CBA standings are as follows:
- Guangsha - 27 wins, 4 losses, 58 points
- Shanxi - 24 wins, 7 losses, 55 points
- Shandong - 22 wins, 10 losses, 54 points