The Guangzhou Team Suffers Critical Defeat at Home
On the evening of December 26, the 2023-2024 CBA League continued with the Guangzhou team at home losing to the defending champion Liaoning team 76-93. This defeat marks the seventh loss since the start of the second stage for the Guangzhou team, leaving the entire team feeling cold.
Despite being at home, a large number of Liaoning team fans came to the Tianhe Stadium to cheer for their team, stealing the limelight from the Guangzhou team fans. Under the tireless cheers of Liaoning fans, the Guangzhou team struggled and ultimately suffered a fragile defeat.
The Guangzhou team’s performance in the opening stage seemed promising, with Jiao Boqiao performing impressively tough and the likes of Cui Yongxi and several defenders playing well. However, the team’s three-point shooting percentage was low at 14.3%, paving the way for their subsequent collapse.
As the Liaoning team took the initiative to shrink and improve its defensive intensity, the Guangzhou team’s offensive efficiency plummeted. Zhao Jiwei took over the game in the second quarter, hitting four consecutive three-pointers and leading the team to reverse the score. The Liaoning team beat the Guangzhou team by 12 points in a single quarter, taking back the initiative in the game.
In the second half, the Guangzhou team was completely misfired on the offensive end, scoring only 31 points. Cui Yongxi, the highest scoring player of the Guangzhou team, only managed to score 16 points. The team’s coach, Guo Shiqiang, seemed anxious on the sidelines but was unable to come up with effective responses.
On the other hand, the Liaoning team maintained a high defensive intensity and its vitality on the offensive end did not diminish. Zhang Zhenlin played nearly the entire game and scored a game-high 30 points. When asked if he would feel tired after playing for such a long time, Zhang Zhenlin stated, “Not tired, I will never be tired.”
Despite the loss, Guo Shiqiang seemed quite relaxed after the game, stating, “The members of the Liaoning team and the Guangzhou team are all my disciples, and I am very happy whoever wins the game.” He attributed the loss to a lack of rebound protection and experience, a sentiment echoed by Cui Yongxi, who acknowledged the need to learn from the Liaoning team.