With Zhejiang's upset, Beijing defeating Xinjiang, Guangdong achieving a 6-game winning streak, Shanxi losing, the latest CBA rankings have been released.

On December 27th Beijing time, the six rounds of the CBA regular season were completed. Last night’s six matches saw Ningbo cause a major upset by beating the strong Zhejiang 88-79, weak Fujian comfortably defeating Guangzhou 97-84, Guangdong resisting a rally to win 94-88 over Shandong, Tongxi completely outplayed and trounced by Tianjin 76-104, Qingdao carefully securing a narrow 88-81 victory over Shanxi, and in a battle of top teams, Xinjiang was dramatically reversed by Beijing 85-89. As a result, the latest rankings are out: Beijing leads with 6 straight wins, Guangdong second with 6 wins in a row, Guangsha third with 4 consecutive wins, Qingdao fourth, Shanghai fifth, Shanxi sixth, and Sichuan at the bottom with 6 straight losses!

Ningbo versus Zhejiang. This season Ningbo has transformed from a weak team to a stronger contender, recording 2 wins and 3 losses in the first five rounds. In the sixth round, they faced the strong Zhejiang, who have performed poorly this season with only 1 win in five games and are at risk of becoming a weak team themselves, leading to a coaching change at home. Therefore, Zhejiang was under great pressure and it was uncertain if they could defeat Ningbo. After the game started, Zhejiang maintained a lead but could not pull away from Ningbo. Ningbo later came from behind to take the lead and began to dominate Zhejiang. Although Zhejiang kept close on the scoreboard, they never managed to retake the lead, ultimately losing unexpectedly to Ningbo. This suggests that Zhejiang’s loss is not mainly due to the coach; the team simply lacks capable players. Without Yu Jiahao and Wang Yibo—one inside, one outside—and with aging players and unproven newcomers, their poor performance reflects a lack of strength!

Guangdong versus Shandong. Guangdong started aggressively, securing a 5-game winning streak and holding second place. This round they faced a challenge from Shandong. Playing at home, Guangdong showed strong performance with multiple players contributing to pull ahead. They scored 31-23 and 30-23 in the first two quarters, leading by 15 points at halftime. In the second half, the situation changed as Guangdong’s offense stalled. Shandong seized the opportunity, scoring 25-14 in the third quarter to narrow the gap to 4 points. In the final quarter, Shandong pressed on to erase the deficit, leading to a back-and-forth battle. Despite Gao Shiyan missing several open three-pointers, Guangdong relied on excellent plays from Xu Jie and Salinger to pull away and ultimately secure a thrilling victory over Shandong.

Qingdao versus Shanxi. Both teams performed well last season and started strong this year, each holding a 4-1 record and ranking closely, with Shanxi on a 4-game winning streak. This round was a crucial battle with much at stake. The teams showed fluctuating form: Qingdao dominated the first quarter with a 6-point lead. In the second quarter, Shanxi’s offense exploded, outscoring Qingdao 28-15 and leading by 7 at halftime. In the second half, Shanxi’s offense cooled off, missing many shots, while Qingdao spread the scoring and outscored Shanxi 27-12 in the third quarter, reversing the lead by 8 points. In the final quarter, Qingdao maintained control on the court, while Shanxi’s attempts to catch up faltered. Ultimately, Qingdao won with three players scoring in double digits and everyone contributing points, defeating Shanxi!

Xinjiang versus Beijing. Beijing started the new season with a 5-game winning streak, leading the standings. This round featured a key match against Xinjiang, who have struggled with poor form and a weak start. Without Zhou Qi, Xinjiang had a chance to end Beijing’s winning streak. Playing at home, Xinjiang began strongly with efficient offense, scoring 25-18 in the first quarter and leading by 7 points. However, Beijing responded in the second quarter with coordinated inside and outside plays, outscoring Xinjiang 26-17 and taking a 2-point lead. The second half turned into a fierce back-and-forth battle, with Beijing steadily scoring and gaining the upper hand. Xinjiang stayed close, but their coach made puzzling decisions by benching Li Yanzhe while leaving the struggling Wu Guanshi on the floor, who even missed free throws. Ultimately, Xinjiang lost to Beijing, allowing their opponent to extend the winning streak to 6 games!

Written by/Titan Sports Fiction