The CBA playoffs witnessed another dramatic twist in the quarterfinals as the Shanxi men’s basketball team, holding a 1-0 series lead and on the verge of a 2-0 sweep against defending champions Guangsha, fell 81-86 at home. The loss forces the series into a decisive away game, flipping the momentum entirely and leaving fans stunned.
Shanxi stayed competitive throughout, never letting Guangsha pull away in the first three quarters and keeping hopes alive, similar to their Game 1 performance. In the fourth quarter, they had multiple chances to take the lead, but foreign player Diallo missed critical opportunities—an easy layup and an open three-pointer—wasting several chances to change the scoreline.
However, the loss cannot be solely blamed on the players. Media analyst Jia Lei pointed to a key issue: head coach Pan Jiang’s questionable rotations in the fourth quarter. Center Liu Chuanxing was effective after entering late in the third quarter, providing solid interior defense, rebounding, and even drawing fouls, sparking a Shanxi run that closed the gap. But early in the fourth quarter, Pan replaced Liu with Ge Zhaobao, and the team’s rhythm immediately collapsed.
Even more puzzling was the benching of Jia Mingru for the entire game. Shanxi struggled to find offensive solutions and lost critical rebounds, widening the board differential. With both teams shooting poorly from outside, the game was destined to be decided by interior play and rebounding. A twin-tower lineup of Liu and Ge seemed the optimal choice to control height and secure boards, but the coaching staff failed to deploy it.
In contrast, Guangsha coach Wang Bo wisely utilized a twin-tower combination of Hu Jinqiu and Wu Xiao, dominating the glass and securing second-chance points even when outside shots missed. The contrast highlighted Pan Jiang’s lack of experience in in-game adjustments compared to the seasoned Wang Bo.
With this defeat, Shanxi must now travel to Guangsha’s home court for a do-or-die game, significantly raising the difficulty. Guangsha, having survived elimination, will see a boost in morale, and with Sun Minghui likely returning, Shanxi’s path to advancement looks increasingly precarious.
