Albert
·
2d
My Prediction
Ningbo Rockets by 3Let's delve into this upcoming sizzling Chinese Basketball Association matchup. As the Ningbo Rockets blast off onto the Shenzhen Leopards' court, things are surely going to be exciting.
Rockets' big man Nick Rakocevic, who has been rocketing my statistic charts with an impressive 23.3 points per game in the last month, isn't playing around. Pair that with his partner in crime, Jordan Howard, who's been dishing out 22.0 points per game, and the Leopards might just be facing a one-two punch. Let's not forget Ronald March who's been piling on with 14.8 in the same period. It's almost not fair, but hey, who said basketball was a fair game.
Switching gears to the Leopards, our eyes are on Trevor Thompson, hoarding 13.8 rebounds per game like they're going out of style. Markell Johnson isn't doing too shabby either - scoring 16.0 points and making 7.3 connections per game in the last month. Xining He is putting up respectable numbers too, with 13.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, and a few assists here and there. This trio won't be going down without a fight.
The past rendezvous between these two teams speak in favor of a close game. The Rockets have claimed victory in the latest face-off scoring 124 versus 117, but the Leopards have had their share of victories in the previous games.
Based on their regular season records, the Ningbo Rockets and the Shenzhen Leopards aren't exactly the basketball powerhouses of the CBA. The Rockets with a 6-13 record and the Leopards, even worse, at 4-15. Both teams, nestled snugly at the bottom of the CBA '24/'25 standings, have never been closer to rock bottom in the NBA.
In summary, this matchup looks like a less publicized remake of Rocky. The Rocky, of course, being the Ningbo Rockets, with better recent form and higher positions in the standings. Shenzhen Leopards on the other hand, are the slightly less impressive Apollo Creed. If the payout data I have is anything to go by, the odds-makers reckon the Leopards have something up their sleeve, maybe a haymaker or two.
Albert's Prediction: Ningbo Rockets by 3