On January 19, 2025, the 33rd round of the CBA regular season witnessed an eye-catching match as Zhejiang hosted the reigning champions Liaoning. The contest was filled with suspense, especially after their first encounter when the foreign player lineups underwent some changes, making the comparison of their strengths less clear. In this game, Zhejiang made a strong comeback after their previous loss, defeating Liaoning 101-88 in a decisive victory to exact revenge.
Game Review: Zhejiang's Revenge, Liaoning's Dull Performance
The game started with Zhejiang quickly establishing a lead thanks to Jones' strong inside play. However, as the game progressed, Zhejiang encountered problems with their rotation lineup, allowing Liaoning to close the gap rapidly. Despite Liaoning's initial struggles, they managed to stabilize after a timeout, with Wells breaking through the defense and Han Dejun playing steadily inside, keeping the score difference minimal.
After the first quarter, Zhejiang led Liaoning by only 2 points at 20-18. In the second quarter, Liaoning gradually found their rhythm, with Wells' combination of inside and outside play and Yan Shouqi's three-point shooting helping the team make a small scoring run to take the lead. However, Zhejiang did not give up easily, with Jones breaking the scoring drought and York stepping up to score 23 points in a single quarter through individual ability, stabilizing the situation for the team. At halftime, Zhejiang trailed Liaoning by just 2 points at 47-49.
In the second half, Zhejiang continued their strong offensive momentum, particularly in outside shooting, where Cheng Shaipeng and Jones repeatedly hit three-pointers, helping Zhejiang quickly regain the lead. Liaoning attempted to catch up through pick-and-roll plays between Wells and Han Dejun, but Zhejiang's defense gradually stifled their offense. After three quarters, Zhejiang led Liaoning by 8 points at 78-70.
Crucial Moment: Liaoning Fails to Find a Breakthrough
In the final quarter, Liaoning tried to create an offensive surge through the默契配合 between Wells and Han Dejun, but Zhejiang called a timeout and made adjustments in time. York and Cheng Shaipeng's consecutive scoring quickly widened the point difference to double digits, making Liaoning's counterattack appear weak. With little time remaining, although Foreign hit an outside shot in an attempt to turn the tide, Cheng Shaipeng of Zhejiang repeatedly responded, turning the game into garbage time. Ultimately, Zhejiang won a decisive victory over Liaoning with a score of 101-88.
Player Performances: York and Jones Shine, Liaoning Struggles with Three-Point Accuracy
In this game, York of Zhejiang became the brightest star on the court, scoring 31 points, grabbing 8 rebounds, and dishing out 6 assists, leading the team to maintain the lead. Jones also performed well, contributing 25 points, 16 rebounds, and 4 assists, providing necessary support with his strong inside play. Cheng Shaipeng's 22 points also laid the foundation for Zhejiang's victory.
On the other hand, Liaoning struggled despite Foreign contributing the highest points for the team. However, the team's three-point shooting accuracy was only 24%, severely hindering their performance from outside. Zhao Jiwei's performance was disappointing, scoring only 6 points and committing 6 turnovers, appearing in low spirits. Liaoning's overall offense failed to form effective coordination, with the solo efforts of foreign players Wells and Foreign not yielding significant results, and the support from other players being insufficient.
Yang Ming's Personnel Decisions Come Under Scrutiny Again
Liaoning's loss also brought the personnel issues of head coach Yang Ming back into focus. Although the team has a group of powerful foreign and domestic players, Yang Ming's adjustments in the lineup rotation seemed not to have achieved the expected effect. Especially in terms of defensive performance, the team failed to effectively limit Zhejiang's outside firepower, leading to a gradual widening of the score. Zhao Jiwei's poor performance and the stagnation of the team's overall offense also raised questions about Yang Ming's command. After this game, whether Liaoning can promptly adjust their state and solve the problems of cooperation between foreign and domestic players and rotation will be the key to their next games.
Conclusion: Zhejiang Bounces Back, Liaoning Faces Challenges
Zhejiang demonstrated their strong rebounding ability in this game, particularly in their precise outside shooting and solid inside play, exerting great pressure on Liaoning. Liaoning needs to reflect on their own issues in the upcoming games, especially their shortcomings in defense and team coordination. For the defending champions, how they address the instability of their players' states and the adjustment of coaching tactics will determine how far they can go in the later stages of the season.
Overall, this game provided fans with an intense matchup, and Zhejiang's successful revenge undoubtedly added confidence to their subsequent season. Next, how both sides perform remains to be seen.