The match between Liaoning and Guangsha at Liaoning's home court turned out to be quite unexpected. Initially anticipated as an evenly matched contest, it ultimately became a one-sided "performance" by Guangsha, who defeated Liaoning with a score of 101:88. Liaoning struggled to find their rhythm throughout the game.
Brown from Guangsha had a personal explosion, scoring 41 points, tearing apart Liaoning's defense and leading Guangsha to a complete domination. Liaoning's performance was disappointing, with almost all the main players in a low state, making continuous mistakes, and showing little progress on the offensive end.
This match served as a wake-up call for Liaoning, exposing numerous issues. It wasn't just about losing a game; the underlying problems were much more severe than the score indicated.
In the first half of the game, both teams had relatively balanced firepower, with Liaoning slightly ahead. At the end of the first quarter, Liaoning led 24:23, but the direction of the game changed completely afterward.
In the second quarter, Guangsha started to exert themselves, with Zhao Yanhao and Knight continuously hitting three-pointers, directly overtaking the score. Liaoning's offense suddenly faltered, missing shots and having a messy defense, especially Brown, who gave Liaoning a warning in a single quarter.
His three-point shots were incredibly accurate, almost as if they had eyes. By halftime, Guangsha had a four-point lead.
In the third quarter, Guangsha seemed to have turned on a cheat code, quickly widening the gap. Brown's performance was particularly impressive, scoring 14 points alone in a single quarter, completely disrupting Liaoning's rhythm.
On Liaoning's side, the entire third quarter's offense was stifled, with only a meager 14 points scored in 12 minutes! They made repeated mistakes, missed shots, and had glaring defensive vulnerabilities.
What was most urgent was that Liaoning's coach, Yang Ming, stood helplessly on the sidelines, watching his players' performance, seemingly on the verge of collapse.
Even more heart-wrenching was Fu Hao missing two open baskets in the third quarter, which was a fatal blow to the team's morale.
By the fourth quarter, Guangsha remained steady, while Liaoning tried to narrow the gap through the individual scoring of Wells and Li Xiaoxu, but Guangsha's overall defense left Liaoning's counterattack without hope.
Guangsha won the match with a score of 101:88, taking a big victory.
The most noteworthy aspect of the entire game was undoubtedly Brown's performance. His 41 points were not only overwhelming in quantity but also in his key moments of eruption.
He shot 12 out of 21 overall, and 7 out of 14 in three-pointers, almost like he was in "godly shot" mode. Especially in the third quarter, his performance almost caused Liaoning's defense to collapse.
Unfortunately, Liaoning seemed unprepared for targeted defense against Brown, as each of his breakthroughs and shots could tear apart Liaoning's defense.
Brown's skills extended beyond scoring; his breakthroughs and passes were precise, with 3 rebounds and 5 assists, demonstrating his versatility.
Moreover, it wasn't just Brown's individual performance that was commendable; Guangsha's teamwork was also remarkable.
Zhao Yanhao and Knight provided three-point support, Sun Minghui organized, and Hu Jinqiu had stable output in the paint. The entire Guangsha team operated like a precise machine, with each part running smoothly.
In contrast, Liaoning's lineup, although seemingly strong, lacked the expected cohesion. Even though Wells and Li Xiaoxu could fight individually, they were ultimately helpless against Guangsha's overall suppression.
"Liaoning's loss really exposed too many problems, especially in tactics and lineup depth. It seems they still lack sufficient changes and seem to have no countermeasures when facing high-intensity defense. Especially the guard line, Zhao Jiwei's slump is really worrying." Another netizen commented.
Looking at the data, Liaoning's shooting accuracy was only 43%, far below Guangsha's 52%.
In terms of three-pointers, Liaoning hit only 28% of their three-point attempts, while Guangsha hit 42%.
This gap directly affected the course of the game.
In rebounding, Liaoning grabbed 38 rebounds, but Guangsha still led with 42 rebounds, helping them create more second-chance opportunities on the offensive end.
In assists, Guangsha had 22, far exceeding Liaoning's 15, reflecting the gap between the two teams in team coordination and offensive organization.
The game process may seem like a simple comparison of numbers, but it actually reflects the serious problems Liaoning is currently facing.
Behind this defeat, the team's tactical execution, psychological adjustment, and on-site adjustment capabilities were exposed in full view.
Especially when facing a strong team like Guangsha with team cooperation, Liaoning seemed somewhat overwhelmed.
"This match showed the strength of Guangsha, and the problems with Liaoning can no longer be ignored. This team seems to be 'armchair generals,' not weak on paper, but when they encounter a strong team, they are completely brought back to their original form. How to adjust next is the key issue that Liaoning must consider." This netizen's words are not without reason.
This match gave Liaoning a profound lesson - it wasn't just about losing a game, but about exposing the team's weaknesses, especially in adaptability and tactical execution, which appeared exceptionally weak.
As for Guangsha, this victory undoubtedly gave them greater confidence and brought them closer to their goal of winning the championship during the season.
Whether Liaoning can adjust in the upcoming matches and find a way to break the deadlock is what deserves more attention.