Hong Kong Taurus vs Changsha Yongsheng Preview: Neutral Venue Adds Suspense – Who Will Seize the Initiative?

At 19:30 on August 30th, NBL playoff semi-final Game 1, Hong Kong Taurus will play against Changsha Wantian Yongsheng at their “home” venue.

In the regular season, Hong Kong Taurus ranked second with 22 wins and 4 losses, while Changsha Wantian Yongsheng ranked third with 16 wins and 10 losses. In the first round of the playoffs, both teams easily swept their opponents 2-0 to advance to the semi-finals without much expenditure of energy. Hong Kong Taurus won by a total of 51 points over Jiangxi Ganchi in their two games, while Changsha Yongsheng had a net win of 37 points over Jiangsu. Both teams have excellent offense and defense, with Hong Kong Taurus averaging 99.5 points per game (second in the league), and Changsha Yongsheng averaging 96 points per game (third in the league). Defensively, these two teams are the ones that conceded the fewest points in the entire league.

The core player for Hong Kong Taurus is Jones, who still maintains an outstanding form from his days playing in the CBA. He averaged 22.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game in the regular season, leading the league in assists. The inside player Carlton averaged 22.5 points, 11 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game, serving as a defensive anchor. Mach only joined the team recently and played only three games, averaging just 8.5 points and 2 assists in the two playoff games, needing to quickly find his form.

In addition to the foreign players, Hong Kong Taurus has very capable local players. Liu Chuanxing and Zhu Songwei are both confirmed to return to the CBA next season, and both have performed well in this season’s NBL. Liu Chuanxing averaged 8.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, while Zhu Songwei averaged 12.4 points and 2.6 assists per game. Additionally, Diao Zhanzhan, Lu Duwei, Dong Jian, Hou Tianyi, and others also possess good strength.

Changsha Wantian Yongsheng’s three foreign players are powerful. The power forward Maric, standing 2.11 meters tall, averaged 24 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game, demonstrating all-around skills. The shooting guard Fotson averaged 22.3 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists per game, being the team’s top scorer. Wells averaged 19.5 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. Together, the three foreign players can score an average of 66 points per game, showing formidable firepower. In comparison, Changsha Yongsheng’s local players are slightly weaker, with no player averaging double-digit points. However, players such as Song Jianhua, Sun Chunpeng, and Zhang Yongpeng have played multiple seasons in CBA teams, possessing certain strength.

In the four regular-season encounters between the two teams, Hong Kong Taurus held a 3-1 advantage, but the margin of victory in the three wins was within 10 points, indicating a close gap. Notably, due to scheduling issues at the Taurus home venue, this game will be played at a neutral venue, the Futian District Sports Park Gymnasium in Shenzhen, behind closed doors. Without the support of home fans, the home court advantage of the Taurus will inevitably diminish, adding more suspense to this game.

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