Congratulations to Guangdong! They have officially surpassed Liaoning in the rankings, with Xu Jie breaking Zhu Fangyu's record, and Bazley finally showing his potential.
Guangdong defeated Nanjing Tongxi 112-94, completing a three-game sweep while also securing their ninth consecutive victory. After the game, Guangdong had three major pieces of good news! The first piece of good news is that they have surpassed Liaoning in the rankings. After defeating Tongxi, Guangdong's record reached 22 wins and 11 losses, exactly the same as Liaoning. However, due to Guangdong's double victories over Qingdao this season, and Qingdao's double victories over Liaoning, Guangdong has an advantage in head-to-head matchups. Therefore, Guangdong has now surpassed both Qingdao and Liaoning, ranking fifth in the league. The second piece of good news is that Xu Jie has broken another record. In this game, Xu Jie provided 13 assists, bringing his career total to 1195 assists, officially surpassing the legendary Zhu Fangyu to rank fifth in team history. The third piece of good news is that Bazley has finally "gotten it," as he played significantly better than before. He scored 20 points and grabbed 7 rebounds in the game, delivering an impressive performance.
In the past three seasons, Liaoning has achieved a three-peat, while Guangdong has gradually declined, failing to return to the finals for three consecutive years. This season, Guangdong experienced difficulties with Hu Mingxuan's injury and the delayed arrival of their small foreign player, causing their ranking to drop out of the top ten at one point. However, with the efforts of Xu Jie, Jilun Walters, and Morand, the "three giants," Guangdong has gradually overcome their slump. After defeating Nanjing Tongxi, they have now won nine consecutive games, and their ranking has slowly climbed back up, surpassing Liaoning! Indeed, Liaoning currently has the same record as Guangdong, with 22 wins and 11 losses. To be honest, Guangdong's schedule is more challenging than Liaoning's, as they are in the same group as Guangsha and Shanxi, who are the top two teams in the league. Guangdong has to play more games against them, which means they will likely suffer more defeats. Relying on their head-to-head record, Guangdong has temporarily surpassed Liaoning in the rankings, which has also boosted their morale!
Xu Jie has completely exploded since the second stage of the season. In this game, he scored 23 points, provided 13 assists, and grabbed 6 rebounds. After providing 13 assists, Xu Jie's total number of assists in CBA history reached 1195, surpassing Zhu Fangyu, a legend of Guangdong, to rank fifth in the team's history! Some fans believe that if he continues to perform like this, there should be no problem with Xu Jie's total number of assists ranking first in team history. After all, the few legends ahead of Xu Jie did not start as high as him, and it seems that Xu Jie's career will be longer! If he continues to play like this, Xu Jie is even more likely to solidify his position as the best point guard in Guangdong's history!
Bazley was previously criticized by fans for having a "cleanliness" issue in his playing style, unwilling to engage in physical confrontations. However, in recent games, he has shown a noticeable change, starting to use his athletic talent more, driving to the basket against the opposition. In the game between Guangdong and Tongxi, Bazley delivered a standout performance, throwing down dunks and blocking shots, making him look like LeBron James in his prime playing in the CBA. With Bazley's athleticism and physical talent, as long as he is willing, very few teams in the CBA can stop him. Of course, Bazley is still a young player, and he is constantly learning and growing. It is hoped that Guangdong can give him more tactical importance, as his talent is truly exceptional!