Xinhua News Agency, Shenyang, May 22 (Reporters Liu Yichun, Zhang Yifei) The final whistle sounded. At the Olympic Sports Center in Urumqi, Xinjiang, the Liaoning Men’s Basketball Team won the fourth Chinese Men’s Basketball Professional League (CBA) championship trophy in team history on the 22nd.
On May 22, the Liaoning team celebrated at the award ceremony after winning the championship.Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Faye Wang
4:0 without any bloodshed, three consecutive championships, and entering the finals for five consecutive years, this team, carrying the expectations of more than 43 million fans, raised the banner of “Liaoning Basketball Dynasty” to the basketball world.
More than 3,000 kilometers away, “green fields” full of hope are flowing in Shenyang street skewers shops, beside the most conspicuous large screens in shopping malls, and on the playgrounds of universities. They shouted “1234 I love Liao Basketball” and waited for spring after a long season.
From the highs and lows of the regular season, to the desperate survival of the playoffs, and then to the finals, this team, which has changed coaches twice, has main players missing from time to time, and is no longer young, declares with every victory: “Forever” Don’t underestimate the heart of a championship.”
“Leader” starts the road to defending the title
Even if the strong strengthen themselves and their fists are afraid of the young, the victor remains unchanged in the face of all changes. The defending champion Liaoning team has retained its winning team this season, and its goal is self-evident – aiming for three consecutive championships.
However, more than a month before the start of the game, the team encountered changes. The Liaoning Men’s Basketball Team announced through social media that Yang Ming will step down as head coach. Later, he used a set of old photos meaning “farewell” to recall the unforgettable moments in the Liao Basketball Team. Spaniard Hugo became a regular coach from assistant coach and brought a complete victory in the first stage of the regular season to the Liao Basketball Team, answering doubts with victory.
On May 3, Liaoning team player Guo Ailun watched the game from the sidelines. On that day, in the second round of the 2023-2024 Chinese Men’s Basketball Professional League (CBA) playoffs semifinals, the Liaoning team lost to the Guangdong team 94:110 at home.Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Pan Yulong
The situation is changing and the course is unpredictable. The core defender Guo Ailun, who was troubled by injuries, was retired for the season due to a thigh strain. The most recent victory for the Liao basketball team dates back to the New Year’s Day battle between Liao and Guangdong. The old rival Guangsha team defeated the Liaoning team three times by flanking the “team brain” Zhao Jiwei and improving its three-point shooting percentage. The youth team Zhejiang team also came “menacingly” and completed a “double kill” against the defending champion.
The road to establishing a dynasty is full of thorns, and the way to defeat the Liaoning team is no longer a secret. Under pressure, Yang Ming returned to the coaching position in the third stage. “On the premise of keeping all players healthy, we will strive to win the games we should win and prepare for the playoffs,” Yang Ming said.
As the Liaoning team defeated the Guangsha team 101:96 and ushered in its fifth consecutive victory, with a record of 43 wins and 9 losses, it won the CBA regular season championship for the third time in team history.
Among all the statistics, Liaoning team only has two leading numbers in the league, namely 16.6 offensive rebounds per game and 50.8 rebounds per game, which proves the truth that “rebounds determine the outcome of the game”. 37-year-old Han Dejun and Li Xiaoxu, who has experienced many serious injuries, jointly contributed 6 offensive rebounds per game, continuing the legend of “old veterans never grow old” in the long season.
A thrilling final battle
In the playoffs, Liaoning defeated Shenzhen, which ranked eighth in the regular season, 3-0. Afterwards, they competed with Guangdong, where Zhou Qi joined, for a ticket to the finals. Liaoning took the lead and won the first game at home, but Guangdong’s seven post-00s players used run-and-gun tactics and high-intensity defense to win two games and rewrite the score to 2:1. Li Xiaoxu was injured, Guo Ailun was unable to return, and Han Dejun was exhausted. Liaoning was once pushed to the edge of the cliff.
Before the fourth semifinal, Zhang Zhenlin sent the whole team a video of the Liaoning Men’s Basketball Team trailing the Guangsha Team 1:2 last year but eventually making a comeback. It said “Success depends on people” and “Everyone has experienced enough over the years, and the situation is similar to last year’s semifinal.” Yang Ming only left two words on the tactical board: play for life.
On May 11, Liaoning player Zhang Zhenlin (center) shot during the game. On the same day, in the fifth round of the semi-finals of the 2023-2024 Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) playoffs, Liaoning defeated Guangdong 116:95 at home. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Pan Yulong
In the “life-threatening” battle, the Liaoning team did not have a smooth start on the road. In the first quarter, they fell behind their opponents by double digits and were forced to change their lineup. Liu Yanyu, who made his debut in the playoffs, brought a turnaround for the team: mid-range shots, blocks, tip-ins… Facing the inside line guarded by Zhou Qi, Liu Yanyu played with his jumping and wingspan advantages, scoring 12 points and 5 rebounds in 19 minutes, helping the team to “run a wave” and score 21:0 across the quarter.
In the hot summer, the “wild geese” led the team back to the north. “I want to wear the jersey of the Liaoning team and stand on the court.” This young center, who only started professional basketball at the age of 15, fulfilled his static talent.
In desperate situations, stars shine. Zhao Jiwei, who won two Finals Most Valuable Player awards, rebounded strongly after scoring only 7 points in the previous game, scoring 22 points, 3 rebounds and 5 assists.
Fu Hao also ushered in a career highlight, scoring 31 points and 9 rebounds, setting a new career high in the playoffs. The Liaoning team, with everyone on board, shot 47.1% from three-point range and won the last-ditch battle 107:90.
After Zhou Qi was injured, the Liaoning team did not give the opponent too many opportunities in the “Five-Five Game” at home, and eliminated the Guangdong team 3:2. After escaping before the door of victory closed, the Liaoning team’s road to the championship continues.
The dream of a dynasty is fulfilled, and the hometown is full of love
Compared to the dangerous semi-finals, Liaoning team’s experience in this year’s finals can be described as smooth sailing. They did not lose a single game, swept Xinjiang team 4:0, and won the “three consecutive championships”.
The past connection between the two teams made this Liao-Xin confrontation full of drama. At the same time, this was also the first time that the two teams faced each other in the CBA finals.
The Xinjiang team, which has been away from the finals stage for many years, is slightly inexperienced. It has exposed shortcomings in player ability, lineup depth and key ball handling. In addition, the most important signing this season, Zhao Rui, also missed the entire finals due to injury. This makes The balance of victory is more inclined to the Liaoning team, which was inspired to bleed in the semifinals.
On May 15, Liaoning player Han Dejun (left) made a layup during the game. On the same day, in the first game of the 2023-2024 season of the Chinese Men’s Basketball Professional League (CBA) finals, the Liaoning team played against the Xinjiang team at home. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Pan Yulong
In the first game between the two sides, the Liaoning men’s basketball team, which had a star team at the back, focused on attacking inside, which made the Xinjiang team obviously ill-prepared. “Twin Towers” Han Dejun and Fu Hao combined to score 52 points and 15 rebounds to help Liao Basketball take the lead.
After entering the second game, the Xinjiang team’s outside touch began to decline off a cliff. In the last three games, they took a total of 97 three-point long-range shots, only hitting 22, and the shooting rate was less than 23%. As for the Liaoning team, the young foreign aid Fogg, who played “health ball” for most of the season, took up the offensive banner and won two consecutive games.
In the fourth game of the finals, Liaoning, who held the championship point, faced a strong counterattack from Xinjiang. The main players were suspended, many players were involved in foul trouble, and head coach Yang Ming was sent off the court… Liaoning men’s basketball team showed the championship spirit of the team in this 100th playoff milestone game of captain Han Dejun, defeating the opponent 104:95.
On May 22, Liaoning team player Fogg (middle) pressed his fingerprint after being elected as the MVP of the Finals.Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Faye Wang
Ferguson averaged 26.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3 assists per game in the finals, winning the Most Valuable Player award. This “best teammate” in Zhao Jiwei’s words showed his extraordinary strength in both offense and defense, and may be the answer for foreign players in the CBA league.
The experience accumulated during the years of journey to the finals, the experience gained, and the “tuition fees” paid have allowed the Liaoning men’s basketball team to grow into a team with real championship temperament.
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责编：刘希尧 ]
2024-05-23 02:59:49
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