On January 20th in the CBA arena, Beijing Men's Basketball Team faced off against Guangsha Men's Basketball Team. This match held significant meaning for Beijing, as they had just suffered two consecutive losses, while Guangsha was on a 9-game winning streak, firmly occupying the top spot in the league. The performance of both teams at the start of the game sparked heated discussions among fans, especially regarding the situation of the Beijing team.
The game began with Guangsha quickly gaining the upper hand. Brown and Hu Jinqiu played exceptionally well, leading their team to take the initiative. Although Beijing had intentions to catch up, the lack of touch caused their offensive rhythm to fall into trouble at times, and the score gap gradually widened. In the final stage of the first quarter, Beijing experienced a slight improvement when Lin Bingsheng came off the bench and displayed strong offensive firepower, scoring 9 points in just one quarter, temporarily reducing the point difference. As the game progressed, Beijing found their rhythm. Although Guangsha maintained a high defensive intensity, they also made some mistakes, giving Beijing opportunities to close the gap. In the second quarter, Beijing launched a fierce attack, once reducing the point difference to only 2 points, almost seeing the hope of leveling the score.
However, Sun Minghui and Hu Jinqiu of the Guangsha team were not willing to let Beijing make an easy comeback. Sun Minghui helped Guangsha stabilize the situation with his calm three-point shots, while Hu Jinqiu scored frequently in the paint, allowing Guangsha to widen the gap again. Even though Beijing's counterattack did not stop, they ultimately failed to overturn the game due to Guangsha's strong defense and excellent offense. At halftime, Guangsha still maintained the lead and allowed Beijing to continue challenging this "iron wall" in the second half.
Entering the second half, Beijing made targeted adjustments, especially on the defensive end, where they began to increase pressure on Guangsha. By causing multiple turnovers, Beijing seized the opportunity to launch quick counterattacks. Zhang Cairen and Fang Shuo also found their touch beyond the three-point line, continuously hitting key three-pointers, which once helped the team level the score. Guangsha's lead disappeared without a trace in the third quarter, and the game entered a white-hot stage. The scores of both teams alternated, and the scene was once very close.
In the final quarter, the suspense of the game remained unresolved. Both sides continued to play fiercely. Lei Meng left the court due to excessive fouls, giving Guangsha some room for adjustment on the court. Brown and German's difficult three-pointers kept being performed, making the scene even more tense. However, Beijing made a fatal mistake at a critical moment - in a sideline throw-in, they were not well prepared and missed the opportunity, and Guangsha immediately stabilized the situation through tactical fouls. After Sun Minghui made both free throws, although Fang Shuo of Beijing bravely attempted a three-pointer to tie the game, he ultimately missed, and the game was settled. Guangsha successfully won this tense game with a narrow advantage of 94-91, achieving their 10th consecutive victory, while Beijing suffered their third consecutive defeat, winning only one out of their last six games.
At the post-game press conference, Beijing head coach Xu Limin did not discuss much about the players' performance. Instead, he cleverly avoided the main issues and praised the players' fighting spirit. Coach Xu emphasized that although the team is currently understaffed, the players did not give up until the last second, and this fighting spirit is worthy of affirmation. The collective underperformance of the team's substitutes was not mentioned by Coach Xu, which is far more terrifying than losing, as it can affect the team's morale and make the players indifferent to winning or losing.
