The CBA's Spring Festival Gala match is here, with Liaoning Men's Basketball facing off against Guangdong Men's Basketball, the two teams with the highest viewership, finally meeting this season. This is their 100th encounter, with Guangdong winning more often, at 53 wins to 46 losses. However, in recent years, Liaoning's win rate has been higher than Guangdong's. Unfortunately, both sides have key players missing for this match, including Hu Mingxuan, Zhao Jiwei, and Zhang Zhenlin.
This season, both teams have had average records and inconsistent form. However, they both achieved big victories in their last games, preparing well for this battle. Liaoning has the advantage at home, particularly in the backcourt, which must be capitalized on. Additionally, they need to limit Xu Jie's performance and execute efficient transitions to increase their chances of winning. Guangdong has an advantage in the frontcourt and must reduce turnovers while opening up their outside shooting. They must focus on these three points.
Guangdong's starting lineup: Xu Jie, Huang Rongqi, Jilunwater, Zhang Haojia, and Morand! Liaoning's starting lineup: Li Xiaoxu, Han Dejun, Ferg, Wang Lanqin, and Wells!
Liaoning grabbed the first attack, but Wells' mid-range shot missed. Jilunwater made a turnover during the counterattack, and Huang Rongqi fouled Ferg. Li Xiaoxu hit a three-pointer, and Morand made a strong attack on Han Dejun, scoring one of two free throws. Han Dejun's strong attack also missed, followed by Morand's layup attempt. Ferg made a turnover, but Xu Jie hit a three-pointer. Wang Lanqin responded with a mid-range shot, but Xu Jie hit another three-pointer, which Wang Lanqin couldn't match. Ferg made a second offensive foul, and both Morand and Jilunwater missed shots. Wells' three-pointer also missed, but Huang Rongqi made a fast break and grabbed the rebound. Jilunwater made another turnover, and Wells scored three points on the counterattack, keeping Liaoning close in the score.
Xu Jie made a high pass, but Ferg's three-pointer missed. Wells made a second attempt, and Huang Rongqi's mid-range shot also missed. Wang Lanqin's three-pointer on the counterattack was off target, and Jilunwater made another turnover. Wang Lanqin stole the ball and scored, leveling the score. Huang Rongqi attacked the basket, and Fu Hao made a buzzer-beating three-pointer. Zhang Haojia committed an offensive foul, and both Fu Hao and Jilunwater missed their three-point attempts. Wells made a jumper, and Jilunwater finally scored. Fu Hao and Xu Jie missed their three-pointers, but Wells scored again on the counterattack, unstoppable.
Bazley missed both of his free throws, and Wells' three-pointer also missed. Xu Jie connected with Morand, but Wang Lanqin's high pass missed, and Zhang Haojia's three-pointer was off target. Ferg made a turnover, followed by Bazley's mistake. Yang Ming then expressed his dissatisfaction with the refereeing decision, angrily criticizing the referee and receiving a technical foul. Xu Jie missed his free throw, and Guangdong's free throw performance was poor, making only 3 out of 8. Zhang Wenyi hit a corner three-pointer, but Fu Hao missed everything. Du Runwang made a counterattack, and Guangdong took the lead again. The game is intense and is sure to go down to the wire.