Data map: June 20, Dongguan, Guangdong, the first stage of the 19/20 CBA semifinals, Guangdong Hongyuan Vs Shanxi Fenjiu. Image source: Visual China
Chinanews Client Beijing, August 2 (Wang Hao) On the evening of the 1st, as the final whistle of the first round of the CBA playoffs sounded, Beijing Controls defeated Jilin 108:106 and won the last eight seats. In this special season in which the schedule had to be compressed due to the impact of the epidemic, the playoffs also showed different characteristics from the past.
The underdog is still a minority
Affected by the epidemic, the CBA was suspended for about 5 months after the Spring Festival this season, which greatly affected the league's match arrangement. Although after the rematch, the teams completed their original plan for the regular season, the playoffs can only compress the schedule.
Compared with the previous series of games, this season's playoffs system is more cruel, with 12-to-8 and 8-to-4 both rounds using a single elimination system. And this kind of match system that determines the life and death of a battle, normally speaking, the chance of upset is greater.
However, after all four games in the first round are over, it can be found that the top ranked Zhejiang, Beijing Enterprises, and Qingdao defeated the bottom ranked Shanxi, Jilin, and Shandong to advance to the top 8. The only game to go to the next game was the 12th ranked Fujian 132:119 victory over the 5th ranked Guangsha.
Data map: Li Chunjiang, coach of Zhejiang Guangsha Holding Team, communicates with players. Photo by China News Agency reporter Han Haidan
However, judging from the course of the game, the strength of each team is not as big as the difference in rankings. Except for the Fujian and Guangsha games, the points difference in each game is within ten minutes. For example, in the match between Beijing Controls and Jilin, Beijing Controls was behind for a time, until the third quarter to overtake, and finally reversed to win.
The result of the first round also made many people look forward to the next round of the game, whether there will be any situation of the next round.
An old house where a treasure
If you want to choose a player with the best performance in the first round, different fans may have different answers, but many of them will definitely mention the name Zhang Qingpeng.
In Shandong's 120:129 loss to Qingdao, veteran Zhang Qingpeng played 28 minutes and scored 37 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals. It is worth mentioning that all of these 37 points were scored in the second half. This also created a new high in Zhang Qingpeng's personal career playoff score.
Image source: CBA official blog.
Fans who watched this game will know that it was his almost crazy performance in the second half that kept the game in suspense. However, this may be the last game of his career, and there are rumors that Zhang Qingpeng will retire after this season. After losing the game, Zhang Qingpeng hid his face in the locker room and wept.
In this round, Beijing Enterprises veteran Sun Yue also became the winner of the game. Facing the menacing Jilin, the North Controls once fell behind in the game and did not overtake the score until the third quarter. When the team headed into the wind, Sun Yue provoked the backbone at both offensive and defensive ends. He scored 18 points and 5 assists, second only to foreign aid Fogg in the team.
In the single-elimination playoffs, every player is facing tremendous pressure, and these two veterans will teach the young people a vivid lesson. The veterans are not dead, but withered. Although they can't continue to dedicate their crazy performance as they did at the peak, they are definitely a force that cannot be ignored in the playoffs.
Data map; Sun Yue. Image source: Osports All Sports Photo Agency
Can the Chinese class work?
After the CBA rematch this season, many teams' foreign players were unable to return to the team on time, so that the team could only choose to play in the Chinese class. This affected the viewing of the game to some extent, but it also gave domestic young players more opportunities.
After the rematch, Guangsha and Zhejiang two brother teams played in the all-China class, both performed relatively strong, and both successfully entered the playoffs. In the first round, Zhejiang defeated Shanxi, which was also a national class, 91:82, but Guangsha lost to Fujian 119:132, the only upset in the first round.
It was obvious from the game that Guangsha was very difficult to deal with the Fujian foreign aid Lawson's offense, allowing Lawson to score 37 points while also sending out an amazing 17 assists. It can be said that Lawson almost tore through the defense of Guangsha. In addition, some of the main players in the Guangsha team suffered injuries and eventually lost with regret.
However, the sample size of the first round of the game is not large enough. In the next second round, Zhejiang vs. Liaoning and Xinjiang vs. Beikong are both a matchup between the national team and the foreign aid team. At that time, you can further observe the national team’s performance. How does it perform.
Data map: On December 25, Beijing time, the CBA Christmas War kicked off and the Beijing team played against the Xinjiang team at home. In the end, the Xinjiang team narrowly beat the Beijing team 88-87. The picture shows Zhou Qi (right) in defense. Photo by Chinanews reporter Li Jun
Regardless of the result, the large-scale all-China class phenomenon that appeared in this special season can provide a good decision-making basis for the subsequent adjustment of the foreign aid policy of the league.
No one is stable in the next round
On the evening of the 2nd, the second round of the CBA playoffs will begin. On the same day, the defending champion Guangdong will face Qingdao and Beijing will face Fujian. On the 3rd, Xinjiang will face the challenge of Beijing Enterprises, and Liaoning will face Zhejiang. In this round, the competition system is still a single elimination system.
Guangdong, which ranked first in the regular season this season, won all the games after the rematch and is the biggest favorite to win this season. The only foreign aid in the team is Wilms, who is an important part of the Guangdong team's offense. Qingdao is the all-China class, which is a bit disadvantaged in terms of the lineup.
But this set of duel is not without suspense, the depth of the bench that Guangdong team is proud of, Qingdao is not inferior. In the first round of the match against Shandong, 7 of the Qingdao team scored in double figures. The boys were struggling to break their wrists with the defending champion.
Data map: The fourth contest of the 2018-2019 season CBA finals came to an end. Guangdong Hongyuan team captured Xinjiang Hongshan Stadium again at 103:98. Not only did he avenge his opponent two years ago by sweeping it 4:0, he also reached the top for the ninth time in an unprecedented way, surpassing the Bayi team to lead the CBA. Image source: Osports All Sports Photo Agency
The match between Beijing and Fujian is destined to be very exciting. Beijing Shougang, with double foreign aid, has rich experience in the playoffs and is a rare team that has not been weakened after the rematch. However, after Fujian's victory over Guangsha last round, Wang Zhelin's offensive power displayed this season is obvious to all, and the result of the game is hard to predict.
Xinjiang, as another championship favorite this season, lost its original foreign aid after the rematch, and the temporarily signed emergency foreign aid performance was not satisfactory. The team has decided to play in the playoffs for all Chinese classes. However, the strength of a team with Zhou Qi can never be underestimated. With double foreign aid in the North Control team, from the perspective of the lineup, it may have a big impact on Xinjiang's relatively weak guard line.
Liaoning had a staggering performance after the rematch. After changing the head coach, the team's state rebounded. The two teams played against each other in the regular season at the end of June. Zhejiang won. It was after this game that the former coach of Liaoning Guo Shiqiang dismissed get out of class. This also adds a lot of drama to this group of duels. Facing Zhejiang in the all-China class, Liaoning will definitely hope to make a shame.
Data map: June 20, Qingdao, Shandong, the first stage of the 19/20 CBA semifinals, Beijing Shougang vs Liaoning Hengye. The picture shows Beijing Shougang player Lin Shuhao (white) defending Liaoning Hengye player Guo Ailun (first right). Image source: Visual China
Two consecutive rounds of single elimination playoffs may be the most exciting part of the CBA league in recent years. How many unexpected excitements will there be, so stay tuned! (Finish)