Last night's CBA regular season game saw Guangdong defeat Fujian 116-92 away from home, delighting Guangdong fans with an impressive display of three-point shooting. The team shot 19 out of 30 three-pointers, achieving a success rate of over 60%. Players like Huang Rongqi, Zhang Wenyi, and Bazley were on fire, contributing to the team's best single-game three-point performance this season. This allowed Xu Jie to rest more, as Fujian could only hold on for three quarters before surrendering, turning the fourth quarter into a training session for Guangdong.
Guangdong won the game relatively easily, and after the match, Du Feng was very satisfied with his team's performance. Following the victory over Fujian, Guangdong received three significant pieces of news. First, their ranking has become more stable; currently, they are on an eight-game winning streak, sitting at eighth in the standings. They are just one point behind fourth-placed Qingdao, with a good chance of finishing in the top four by the end of the second stage. Du Feng also expressed his hope that the team can maintain this winning streak until the end of the second stage.
The second piece of news is that Xu Jie's injury is not serious. In the previous game against Guangzhou Long Lions, Xu Jie scored a difficult 2+1 layup over Guo Ailun in the fourth quarter but unfortunately sprained his wrist upon landing. Due to the large deficit Guangdong faced in the first half, Xu Jie had to switch to personal attack mode and did not get much rest, playing for 45 minutes and aggravating his wrist injury.
Before the game against Fujian, Xu Jie went to the hospital for a check-up and X-ray. Despite his injury, he played for 33 minutes in the match, scoring 3 points, grabbing 3 rebounds, and dishing out 13 assists while attempting only two shots. His wrist was heavily bandaged during the game.
During the game, Xu Jie deliberately reduced his attempts, preferring to dribble with his left hand. In the final stages of the third quarter, Xu Jie took his first three-pointer of the game, which he made despite grimacing in pain.
Regarding Xu Jie's wrist injury and its potential impact on future games, let's see what Du Feng has to say. At the post-match press conference, Du Feng continued his tradition of bringing Xu Jie along, and he continued to praise Xu Jie in various ways, saying: "Xu Jie completed 13 assists in this game, creating at least 30 points on his own. I think there's nothing wrong with Xu Jie's wrist injury; he's now more immersed in connecting and organizing the team, delivering precise passes to his teammates, which gives him a better feeling than scoring himself. Xu Jie is constantly striving towards higher levels."
Du Feng, who holds a doctorate in psychology, certainly knows how to motivate his players. After the press conference, Du Feng shared a video late at night, expressing his recent happiness with the fans. In the video, he thanked the fans who voted for Xu Jie and Zhao Rui recently, and he also appeared with Xu Jie in the video.
Xu Jie discussed the impact and assistance Du Feng has had on his career, expressing his gratitude to Du Feng and the fans who voted for him.
The third piece of news concerns Hu Mingxuan's current situation. In the comment section below Du Feng's video, a fan commented: "Coach Du, you can't forget about Xiao Xuan." Du Feng responded: "We're all waiting for him to come back."
According to netizens' revelations, the latest news is that Hu Mingxuan, who has been undergoing rehabilitation training with trainer Ye En in Yunnan recently, has returned to Dongguan to join the team. Looking at Hu Mingxuan's latest social media, his IP address is already showing as Guangdong, which likely indicates that his injury has almost fully recovered. Of course, it's not realistic for him to return now, but he should be able to return in the third stage. Initially, after Hu Mingxuan's injury, Du Feng estimated a recovery time of three months. Counting from then, by March 5th when the league resumes, Hu Mingxuan will be able to return, and at that time, Guangdong will also welcome a new fourth foreign aid (previously rumored foreign aid Darron Russell was unable to join due to salary negotiations), further enhancing their strength.
