With Shanxi’s decisive victory over Zhejiang, Xinjiang’s win against Beijing Royal Fighters, and Qingdao’s impressive third consecutive win, the latest CBA rankings have been released.

On December 19th Beijing time, the third round of the CBA regular season kicked off. In the latest matches, the struggling Ningbo turned the tables by beating Shenzhen 81-72, Beijing Royal Fighters fell 95-105 to the strong Xinjiang team, Fujian was crushed 80-98 by defending champions Guangsha, giant-killer Jilin won easily over Tianjin 90-80, dark horse Qingdao beat Tongxi 99-88 securing their third consecutive victory, and in a heavyweight showdown Shanxi defeated Zhejiang 102-91, handing Zhejiang their third straight loss. With this, the updated standings show Qingdao in first place, Xinjiang fourth, Guangsha fifth, Shanxi sixth, Ningbo seventh, and Zhejiang at 16th after their losing streak.

Ningbo faced Shenzhen. Ningbo has improved this season and secured their first win early, currently both teams hold a 1-1 record. After the game started, Shenzhen gradually pulled ahead and controlled the pace, while Ningbo kept close behind, trailing by three points at the end of the first quarter. The game then shifted dramatically as Shenzhen’s offense stalled, Ningbo’s multiple scorers combined for a 23-16 quarter, taking a 4-point lead by halftime. In the second half, Ningbo continued their momentum, outscoring Shenzhen by 7 points in the third quarter and extending the gap into double digits. Both teams struggled offensively in the final quarter, but Ningbo maintained their lead and comfortably defeated Shenzhen, earning their second win of the season. It’s clear Ningbo has undergone a remarkable transformation this season, showing great strength!

Beijing Royal Fighters versus Xinjiang. Xinjiang’s offense was blazing hot in the first half, dominating Beijing Royal Fighters and widening the gap to double digits. However, in the second half, Xinjiang’s scoring sharply declined, allowing Beijing Royal Fighters to narrow the deficit. In the final quarter, Beijing Royal Fighters kept pressing to chip away at the lead, but Xinjiang regained focus, controlled the game’s tempo steadily, and denied any further comeback chances, ultimately securing the win and handing Beijing Royal Fighters their first loss.

Qingdao versus Tongxi. Qingdao’s two foreign players, Weatherspoon and Michi, powered the team to a dominant victory over Tongxi, building a large lead and ultimately crushing their opponents. Qingdao scored 98 points in total, with Weatherspoon contributing 56, Michi 26, and Yang 6. However, the domestic players managed only 11 points combined, which is quite disappointing!

Shanxi versus Zhejiang. The game opened with both teams playing aggressively and shooting well, with Shanxi taking an early 5-point lead. Then Shanxi’s offense slowed down while Zhejiang suddenly surged, outscoring Shanxi by 10 points in the quarter to take the lead. The second half saw a back-and-forth battle with Zhejiang holding a slight advantage. In the final quarter, Zhejiang’s offense went cold, while Shanxi exploded with a 28-15 run, decisively ending the game in one surge. Shanxi had five players scoring in double digits and handed Zhejiang their third consecutive defeat!

Written by / Sports Fiction