On December 26th, Beijing time, the 22nd round of the CBA regular season saw Liaoning Men's Basketball Team challenge Guangzhou Men's Basketball Team away from home. After a fierce four-quarter battle, Liaoning Team eventually won against Guangzhou Team with a narrow margin of 98-97. Below are the details of the match.
In the first quarter, Liaoning Team started strong with consecutive outside shots, but Guangzhou Team quickly found their rhythm and capitalized on transition speed to frequently score at the basket. Both teams then entered a seesaw battle with scores alternating. With Yan Shouqi coming off the bench to lead a 6-0 run, Liaoning led by 5 points at 20-12, forcing Guangzhou to call a timeout. Liaoning maintained a 5-point lead going into the second quarter.
In the second quarter, Guangzhou utilized their rebounding advantage to open up their outside shooting, starting with a 6-3 run that forced Liaoning to call a timeout. After the break, Liaoning adjusted their lineup and regained the lead, but Guangzhou responded with a 10-0 run to take the lead once again. After further adjustments, Wells led Liaoning to a 10-0 run of their own, ending the half with a 2-point lead.
In the third quarter, both teams entered a tight battle, with Guangzhou focusing on Crawford and Warren, while Liaoning relied on the inside-out connection between Wang Lanchen and Han Dejun. At the end of the third quarter, Liaoning trailed by 1 point.
In the decisive fourth quarter, Guangzhou established an early lead, but Wells hit five consecutive three-pointers to level the score. With 9 seconds left, Han Dejun made two free throws to give Liaoning a 1-point lead. In the final 2 seconds, Guangzhou missed a potential game-winning shot, allowing Liaoning to secure a 1-point victory.
Full game statistics:
Liaoning Team: Wells scored 31 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists; Ferg scored 12 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists; Han Dejun scored 18 points, 11 rebounds, and 2 assists; Li Xiaoxu scored 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists;
Guangzhou Team: Warren scored 28 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists; Crawford scored 12 points and 6 rebounds; Zhang Xingliang scored 12 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists.
With the conclusion of this match, Liaoning Team's record stands at 15 wins and 7 losses, propelling them to fifth place in the league. The latest standings have been updated as follows: