Last night, the CBA regular season saw six intense matches, with the results causing a significant shake-up in the rankings. Guangsha narrowly defeated Beijing, Fujian lost to Jilin, Shanxi overcame Guangzhou, Shanghai triumphed over Sichuan, Guangdong easily won against Nanjing, and Xinjiang beat Qingdao. As a result, the league standings experienced a major upheaval overnight. Guangsha, the league leader, maintained its top position, while Guangdong rose to fifth and Xinjiang to sixth. Liaoning, on the other hand, was overtaken by both teams and fell to seventh. Currently, there is a tight competition among six teams for the top four spots, as they all have the same number of points.
In the match between Guangsha and Beijing, Guangsha established an early lead and held on to it despite Beijing's attempts to rally. The final score was 94-91 in favor of Guangsha, securing their tenth consecutive victory and solidifying their lead in the standings. Beijing, however, suffered their third consecutive loss and dropped to ninth place.
Xinjiang hosted Qingdao in a game that had developed a rivalry-like intensity throughout the season. Xinjiang took control from the start and maintained their lead throughout the game, eventually winning 103-83 and completing a double victory over Qingdao for the season. This win moved Xinjiang up to sixth place in the league, surpassing Liaoning, while Qingdao remained in eighth.
Guangdong faced Nanjing in a match that was not as competitive as expected. Guangdong led throughout the game and even brought in substitutes in the fourth quarter to practice, ultimately defeating Nanjing 112-94. This victory marked Guangdong's ninth straight win and propelled them to fifth place in the standings, surpassing Liaoning and closing in on the top four. Nanjing, with a record of 16 wins and 17 losses, remains in eleventh place and will need to work hard to secure a playoff spot.
The current standings for third to eighth place are Zhejiang, Shanxi, Xinjiang, Guangdong, Liaoning, and Qingdao, all with 55 points each. With such a close point differential, the final outcome of who will make it into the top four is still uncertain, as there are 13 rounds left in the regular season and many variables at play.
