The CBA semifinals staged a peak showdown, Yang Ming and Du Feng met on the way to the championship for the fourth time, and the suspense of who of the two senior coaches could have the last laugh was full of suspense.
The two sides have faced each other in the past
Yang Ming and Du Feng are two of the most senior head coaches in the CBA league, and they have played each other many times in the past few seasons. In the semifinals of the 21-22 season, Yang Ming defeated the Guangdong team led by Du Feng 3-0 and advanced to the finals. However, in the finals of the 19-20 season, Du Feng defeated Yang Ming 2-1 and helped the Guangdong team win the championship. The two also faced off once at the 2022 National Games, when Yang Ming's Liaoning team defeated Du Feng's Guangdong team.
The two coaches, Yang Ming and Du Feng, have played each other many times in the past few years, and the competition between the two sides can be described as equal. Their record is also half-hearted, and they have won and lost in different competitions. This kind of grievance and hatred between old opponents makes this semi-final matchup even more interesting. Whoever can laugh between the two will decide the championship this season.
The first match of the semi-finals
The Guangdong team suffered a lot of lineup troubles in the first game of the semifinals. Zhou Qi, the core of the team's interior line, was suspended for two games for a physical foul in the previous round and was unable to play in the first game. Ren Junfei was injured in the last game of the previous round and has not fully recovered from the injury. This greatly reduced the internal strength of the Guangdong team.
The main lineup of the Liaoning team is relatively complete. They were able to send a strong interior combination of Moreland and Han Dejun to fight against the Guangdong team's interior line. Zhao Jiwei, Zhang Zhenlin and other national players are in hot form. Coupled with the advantage of fighting at home, the Liaoning team occupied a certain initiative in the first game.
The Guangdong team also has excellent attacking power on the outside. Hu Mingxuan has been in excellent form in the playoffs, hitting three-pointers at critical moments many times to turn the tide of the game. Du Feng even praised Hu Mingxuan's performance and praised him as the scoring point of the Guangdong team. If Hu Mingxuan can show his skills in the first battle, he may be able to make up for the lack of the inside line.
Comparison of the strength of the two sides
From the perspective of squad strength, the Liaoning team undoubtedly has a certain advantage. They not only have a strong interior line, but Zhao Jiwei, Zhang Zhenlin and others on the back line are also frequent visitors to the national team, and their strength is extraordinary. The Guangdong team has shortcomings in the inner line, and it is difficult for Hu Mingxuan alone to resist Liaoning's all-round attack.
From the perspective of the head coach's coaching ability, Du Feng and Yang Ming are both veterans, both of whom have led the team to win the championship and have rich experience in winning the championship. Du Feng has coached the national team and has a very high tactical literacy. The comparison between the two sides is also evenly matched.
There is a gap in the strength of the two sides in the first game of the semi-finals, but the playoffs are full of uncertainties, and it is still unknown who will have the last laugh. This matchup will once again test the coaching ability of the two coaches and the team's ability to win the championship.