Translation:
Shenzhen's recent matches have been incredibly exciting. Playing at home against Shandong, they broke the suspense right from the start. As soon as the game began, Shenzhen played exceptionally well, scoring a small 8-1 run in the first quarter and quickly taking the lead. Although Shandong made some mistakes, they still fought hard to catch up. At the end of the first quarter, Shenzhen led Shandong by 3 points, 29-26. At that time, everyone's mood must have felt like riding a roller coaster, with the suspense not yet disappearing and the game becoming increasingly thrilling.
In the second quarter, Shandong gradually found their rhythm, once overtaking the score through a 9-4 run. At that time, Shandong performed quite well on both offense and defense, scoring 36 points in a single quarter. At halftime, they led Shenzhen 62-57. Shenzhen's foreign player Thompson was simply too strong, scoring 23 points and grabbing 6 rebounds, becoming the team's offensive core and playing with great feeling. Shandong's Chris also had a good performance, scoring 16 points. It can be said that Shandong's performance in the second quarter was quite eye-catching.
The real turning point of the game appeared in the third quarter. Shenzhen suddenly erupted, scoring a 19-12 run in this quarter and quickly overtaking the score. Shandong's defense was lax at that time, and their mistakes were increasing, unable to resist Shenzhen's offense. Shenzhen won an astonishing 17 points over Shandong in a single quarter, completely turning the game around. At the end of the third quarter, Shandong trailed Shenzhen by 12 points, 79-91. This gap seemed possible to chase, but the actual situation had already become unfavorable for Shandong.
Entering the final quarter, Shenzhen continued to maintain their advantage, always keeping a double-digit lead. At this point, Shandong's defense was almost without any pressure, and Shenzhen played as if they were on their own court, eventually winning the game 115-99. This victory was significant for Shenzhen, as it not only ended their losing streak but also helped them regain their form. Johnson played perfectly in this game, contributing 37 points, 8 rebounds, 14 assists, and 5 steals, truly a versatile warrior. Thompson was no less impressive, contributing 32 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 blocks. It can be said that the performance of these two foreign players was the key to Shenzhen's victory.
While Shenzhen played so easily, Beijing was not as fortunate on the other side. Beijing challenged Zhejiang away from home this time, but was counterattacked and lost the game 92-106, suffering two consecutive defeats. Beijing's state is really unpredictable, especially without Zhou Qi, their interior strength has been greatly reduced. In the first quarter, Beijing struggled to keep up with Zhejiang's pace, ending the first quarter trailing 23-32. Although Beijing's offense gradually warmed up in the second quarter, with Zhang Cairen and Fang Shuo starting to exert themselves, Zhejiang maintained the lead throughout. At halftime, Beijing trailed by 5 points. In the third quarter, Zhejiang strengthened their attack again, scoring 29 points in a single quarter and gradually widening the gap. Entering the final quarter, Beijing never found a suitable offensive rhythm, and the gap kept growing. Ultimately, they lost to Zhejiang 92-106. Zhang Cairen was Beijing's top scorer, with the highest points on the team at 11. Zhejiang's foreign players Jones and York also scored 13 points each, and Zhejiang's overall performance was highly efficient.
Besides these two games, the other matches were also quite interesting. Sichuan finally found the feeling of victory, successfully defeating Ningbo and ending their embarrassing five-game losing streak. Ningbo's five consecutive losses also made people sigh, as it seemed that the state of these two teams was caught in a vicious cycle. Tianjin's match against Jilin was also very exciting, with Tianjin narrowly winning 113-110, ending their seven-game losing streak and giving Jilin four consecutive losses. It seems that Jilin has also been unable to find the feeling of winning during this period.
According to the current standings, Guangsha, Shanxi, and Liaoning firmly occupy the top three positions. Although Shandong lost this game, they still managed to maintain fourth place thanks to their previous good results. Now the competition in the standings is really getting more intense. From second-placed Shanxi to fifth-placed Zhejiang, the four teams have the same number of points, making the competition quite close. The biggest difference in points from second to seventh is only 1 point, so it seems that the upcoming matches will be even more captivating.