CBA rankings shaken overnight: Shanghai rises to second, Qingdao causes an upset, Liaoning narrowly loses to Shandong, Xinjiang drops down

On January 24th Beijing time, the 18th round of the CBA regular season continued with four matches completed last night. Ningbo shocked everyone by beating Qingdao 82-68, Fujian was heavily defeated 80-110 by a powerful Shanghai side, Guangzhou defeated struggling Tongxi 112-102, and in the key game, Liaoning narrowly lost 79-84 to Shandong. Consequently, the rankings have been shaken up: Shanghai's 4-game winning streak pushed them past Guangdong into second place, Qingdao dropped to fifth after two losses, Shandong climbed to seventh with two wins, Liaoning fell to 12th after three losses, and Xinjiang slipped again, falling out of the playoff zone!

Ningbo vs. Qingdao. Formerly a weak team, Ningbo has transformed this season and become quite competitive, currently holding a solid playoff spot. This round they faced last season’s dark horse, Qingdao. After a brief early struggle, Ningbo’s multiple scorers took over and widened the gap. The second quarter saw a back-and-forth battle with neither side dominating, but Jackson’s hot shooting helped Ningbo suppress Qingdao, leading by 5 points at halftime. In the second half, Ningbo maintained control on the court. Although Qingdao tried to fight back, they never got close enough. Despite Weatherspoon’s efforts, Ningbo pulled off a surprising upset over Qingdao!

Fujian vs. Shanghai. The weak Fujian team faced a strong and well-prepared Shanghai squad. The outcome was predictable. In the opening quarter, Fogg was on fire, consistently scoring to help Shanghai post a 34-18 quarter, leading Fujian by 16 points. Shanghai’s shooting percentage plummeted in the second quarter, while Fujian spread out their scoring and gradually closed the gap, trailing by 9 at halftime. In the second half, Shanghai’s offense surged back with a comprehensive attack, dominating Fujian 38-19 in the third quarter, building a 28-point lead and effectively ending the game. In the final quarter, Shanghai eased off, Fujian collapsed and lost all fighting spirit, and Shanghai won decisively by 30 points!

Guangzhou vs. Tongxi. Guangzhou played very efficiently for the first three quarters, aggressively scoring and maintaining pressure on Tongxi, holding a 10-point lead after three quarters. However, in the final quarter, Guangzhou suddenly went cold, allowing Tongxi to launch a major comeback, outscoring them 28-18 in the quarter and forcing overtime. In overtime, Guangzhou completely took control, with their offense firing on all cylinders to score 18-8, ultimately defeating Tongxi!

Liaoning vs. Shandong. Both teams played tough defense in the first half. Despite having home court advantage, Liaoning struggled offensively, missing many shots, while Shandong’s balanced attack gave them a 9-point lead at halftime. In the second half, both teams traded baskets fiercely. Although Liaoning slightly closed the gap, Shandong still held control, extending their lead to 6 points after three quarters. In the final quarter, Gao Shiyan stepped up, contributing 12 points both offensively and defensively, single-handedly resisting Liaoning’s comeback. Shandong eventually defeated Liaoning, handing them their third consecutive loss. The referees’ decisions sparked controversy, and Zhao Jiwei refused to shake hands after the game, showing his frustration!

Written by / Sports Novel