On January 18th, Beijing time, the CBA regular season continued to compete, with Guangdong challenging Fujian, the bottom team. This was a match with a significant difference in strength. Recently, Guangdong has been in excellent form, winning seven consecutive victories after reversing Guangzhou in the derby last round, finally ranking among the top eight in the league. On the other hand, Fujian defeated Sichuan last round, securing their fifth victory of the season. However, their chances of making the playoffs are slim, so every game from now on is a battle for honor. In this match, Guangdong easily defeated Fujian 116-92 with their outstanding three-point shooting, achieving an impressive eight-game winning streak.
In the first quarter, Guangdong took the initiative as visitors and quickly entered the game. Du Runwang's three-pointer was accurate, Xu Jie connected with Morand, and then Jilunwate took over the game, repeatedly using his personal ability to break through Fujian's defense. In contrast, Fujian only had Liu Jinyu's two consecutive three-pointers as a response, with the rest of their scoring points going silent in the latter half of the quarter. Jilunwate scored 13 points in the quarter, leading Guangdong to a 29-20 lead.
In the second quarter, Zhang Wenyi became Guangdong's trump card, hitting three consecutive three-pointers to stop Fujian single-handedly. Fujian's foreign player Louis King responded with a one-handed dunk, but compared to Guangdong, who played more cohesively, they maintained a double-digit advantage steadily, leading 56-40 at halftime.
In the third quarter, Joseph Yang led Fujian's counterattack, reducing the gap to 10 points and stopping Guangdong. After waking up, Guangdong responded with a run to widen the gap again, stopping Fujian once more. Xu Jie and Morand's pick-and-roll became increasingly proficient, while Huang Rongqi and Bazley were in hot form from beyond the arc. Guangdong's entire team was on fire with three-point shooting, ending the third quarter with an 86-65 lead, a 21-point difference.
In the final quarter, Guangdong maintained a lead of over 20 points, playing steadily. As time ran out, Fujian lost interest in fighting back, accepting the result, and the game entered garbage time. Ultimately, Guangdong won big against Fujian with a score of 116-92.
In this game, Guangdong shot an astonishing level of three-pointers, making 19 out of 30 attempts, with a success rate of over 60%. It was almost impossible for them not to win. What's even more remarkable is that Xu Jie, previously known as a workhorse, finally had the rare opportunity to check out after three quarters, thanks to the collective efforts of the team that earned him valuable rest time. This eight-game winning streak also allowed Guangdong, who were in a low point, to catch their breath, as the pressure on their performance was significant. If they can find a suitable small foreign player, Guangdong still has the potential to make a strong showing in the playoffs.
Team statistics:
Guangdong: Jilunwate 21 points, 1 assist, 4 rebounds; Bazley 18 points, 1 assist, 8 rebounds; Morand 15 points, 4 assists, 12 rebounds, 3 blocks; Huang Rongqi 15 points, 3 assists, 3 rebounds; Zhang Wenyi 15 points, 4 rebounds; Du Runwang 10 points, 4 assists, 1 rebound; Zhang Haojia 8 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds; Xu Xin 6 points, 2 assists, 3 rebounds; Xu Jie 3 points, 13 assists, 3 rebounds; Huang Mingyi 3 points; Wang Shaojie 2 points, 2 assists; Yang Yi 4 assists, 2 rebounds.
Fujian: Yang 26 points, 7 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals; Louis King 17 points, 1 assist, 3 rebounds; Zou Yang 11 points, 5 assists, 6 rebounds, 2 steals; Sun Yansong 10 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals; Steer 10 points, 2 rebounds, 2 steals; Liu Jinyu 8 points, 1 assist, 1 rebound; Li Zhanglin 7 points, 1 rebound; Li Yiyang 3 points, 2 assists; Obekpa 3 rebounds; Huang Yichao 1 rebound.