In the 33rd round of the CBA regular season, the defending champion Liaoning team lost a crucial positioning battle to the Zhejiang team with a score of 88-101 on the road. After Liaoning's loss, the landscape of the CBA may also change due to this key positioning battle. After Liaoning's defeat, Guangdong is only one win away from Liaoning, which means that Guangdong has a good chance to catch up and return to the top four of the standings. Therefore, this battle between Zhejiang and Liaoning could be the most critical game of the CBA season, and their victory or defeat could directly affect the playoff trend.
Let's talk about the game between Liaoning and Zhejiang. Looking at the game trends, both teams played well in half a game. Liaoning was in good form in the first half, suppressing Zhejiang. If it weren't for York's big explosion in the second quarter, hitting six three-pointers and scoring 23 points in a single quarter, Zhejiang would have been left behind early. In the second half, Zhejiang gradually found its rhythm and made a beautiful comeback in the third quarter, winning by double digits. With stable play in the second half, Zhejiang eventually won by 13 points at home, winning this crucial positioning battle. It can be said that Zhejiang won big in this battle.
Why is this game so important? This has to do with the two teams' records. Before the game, Liaoning had 22 wins and 10 losses, ranking fourth in the standings, while Zhejiang had 21 wins and 11 losses, ranking sixth. The two teams had met once before, with Liaoning beating Zhejiang by 11 points. This means that as long as Liaoning won this game or lost by less than 11 points, they would have an advantage against Zhejiang. However, Liaoning ended up losing by 13 points, which means that Liaoning has no advantage over Zhejiang in terms of points this season.
This loss not only cost Liaoning their position in the top four of the standings, being overtaken by Zhejiang, but also put them at a disadvantage in the upcoming playoff positioning battles. The teams ranked 4th to 9th in the CBA standings are very close in record. Zhejiang and Liaoning both have 22 wins and 11 losses, Qingdao has 22 wins and 10 losses, Guangdong has 21 wins and 11 losses, Xinjiang has 22 wins and 9 losses, and Beijing has 20 wins and 11 losses. Basically, there is only a difference of 1-2 wins. Moreover, Qingdao and Guangdong have played one less game, while Xinjiang and Beijing have played two less games. If all the games were played, their records could very likely catch up with or even surpass Liaoning.
Take Guangdong as an example. Their record is 21 wins and 11 losses, one win behind Zhejiang and Liaoning. If they successfully beat Tongxi in this round and Qingdao loses to Xinjiang, then Guangdong and Qingdao's records will also become 22 wins and 11 losses. At that time, Zhejiang, Liaoning, Guangdong, and Qingdao will all have the same record of 22 wins and 11 losses, forming a chain. If we calculate the small points, it would also be very unfavorable for Liaoning.
Currently, Liaoning and Zhejiang have finished two games this season and will not meet again. They are at a disadvantage in terms of points. They have played two games against Qingdao and were double-killed, also at a disadvantage. The only advantage is that they beat Guangdong, but the two teams still have one game to play this season. Moreover, Guangdong has double-killed Qingdao this season. If these four teams form a chain, Liaoning is likely to be the biggest loser. On the other hand, Guangdong has the potential to become the biggest beneficiary, as they could very likely return to the top four of the standings in the next one or two rounds. Of course, all this has to thank Liaoning and Yang Ming for losing this crucial positioning battle against Zhejiang. Therefore, this battle could greatly influence the playoff trend this year.