CBA regular season games were scheduled for the evening of January 20th, with a total of 6 matches. Among them, Jilin team defeated Fujian team away, Zhejiang Guangsha team defeated Beijing Shougang team away, Shanxi team defeated Guangzhou Longshi team at home, Xinjiang team defeated Qingdao team at home; Guangdong team defeated Nanjing Tongxi team away, achieving a 9-game winning streak; Shanghai team defeated Sichuan team away, ending their losing streak. Currently, the five teams ranked 4th to 8th in the CBA have the same points, and the competition for positioning is very fierce.
Firstly, let's talk about Guangdong team's victory over Nanjing Tongxi team away. This was the third meeting between the two teams this season, with Guangdong team winning both away games and one home game. On October 27th, Guangdong team won big at home against Nanjing Tongxi team with a score of 128-88. On December 18th, Guangdong team won away against Nanjing Tongxi team with a score of 112-97. On January 20th, Guangdong team once again won away against Nanjing Tongxi team with a score of 112-94. On March 28th, during the third stage of the regular season, the two teams will meet for the fourth time this season at Guangdong team's home court. It is unknown what the result will be, but it is predicted that Guangdong team is likely to win again.
It must be said that Guangdong team's playing style is quite effective against Nanjing Tongxi team. Guangdong team can suppress Nanjing Tongxi team both in terms of height in the paint and intensity on the wing, and their strength on the guard line is not bad either. In today's match, Guangdong team's guard Xu Jie scored 23 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, and made 13 assists, which although not as many points as Lin Wei's 31, his 13 assists activated the whole team. In contrast, Lin Wei only had 5 assists, with Xu Jie having a shooting percentage of 62.5% and Lin Wei only 45.5%.
In addition, Guangdong team's foreign player Jilunwote scored 39 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, and made 2 blocks, while Beizeli scored 20 points and grabbed 7 rebounds, completely outperforming Nanjing Tongxi team's foreign players. Moreover, today Nanjing Tongxi team's Guo Haowen played abnormally, coming off the bench for 21 minutes and 28 seconds, missing both shots and only contributing 0 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 fouls, and 2 turnovers.
Then there was Shanghai team's big win over Sichuan team away with a score of 129-87, ending their losing streak. Starting from January 14th, Shanghai team embarked on a three-game away trip, but they lost their first game to Liaoning team, ending their longest 16-game winning streak in the CBA this season. Then, Shanghai team lost again when they challenged Shanxi team away, suffering two consecutive losses after their 16-game winning streak, which led to many fans questioning the team. Tonight, their big win over Sichuan team can be considered as breaking the doubts.
During Shanghai team's 16-game winning streak, their opponents were not particularly strong. Among the teams currently ranked in the top 8, only Guangdong team and Zhejiang Chouzhou team were among them. The Beikong men's basketball team, which they defeated both home and away, has now fallen to 10th place, with the rest of the teams having even worse records. Therefore, a significant part of their 16-game winning streak was due to the advantage of the schedule. This time, encountering consecutive losses against Liaoning team and Shanxi team also tested Shanghai team's strength, proving that they do not possess the strength to be in the top four. They are likely to enter the top 8 in the regular season, but it will be really difficult for them to progress further in the playoffs.
Currently, Zhejiang Guangsha team tops the CBA standings, leading Shanxi team, who are ranked second, by 3.5 wins, making it almost impossible for the latter to catch up or overtake them. In third place is Shandong High-Speed Men's Basketball, with a current record of 23 wins and 10 losses. Under the guidance of Qiu Biao, Shandong High-Speed Men's Basketball has been a pleasant surprise this season, just like Shanxi team, being one of the dark horse teams that surprised everyone this season.
Currently, the teams ranked 4th to 8th in the points table - Zhejiang Chouzhou team, Guangdong team, Xinjiang team, Liaoning team, and Qingdao team - all have 55 points, and the competition for the top positions is very fierce. They all have the potential to reach the top 4, but any misstep could lead to them falling out of the top 8. Therefore, every upcoming match becomes even more crucial.